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Digitized  by  the  Internet  Archive 

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http://www.archive.org/details/cornellnavyrevieOOyounrich 


THE 

CORNELL   NAVY 


A     REVIEW 

C.    V.    p.    YOUNG 

Professor  of  Physical  Culture  at  Cornell  University 

and   Director  of  the    Gymnasium 


1907 
TAYLOR    AND    CARPENTER 

ITHACA,     NEW     YORK 


COPYRIGHT,   1907,  by 
TAYLOR   AND    CARPENTER 

All  rights   reserved 


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Q. 


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To  the  "Old  Man," 

CHARLES    E.    COURTNEY 

whose  coaching, 

and  to  the  "  ^oys,"  whose  faithful  training  and  earnest  Work., 

have  combined  to  mak.e  Cornell  pre-eminent  in 

Intercollegiate  Rowing 


%14273 


PREFACE 

In  the  following  pages  I  have  attempted  to  give,  not  so  much  a 
detailed  account  of  the  numerous  events  participated  in  by  the  Cornell 
Navy,  as  an  accurate  and  brief  survey  of  salient  points  in  its  history, 
beginning  Mrith  its  foundation  in  the  Fall  of  1871. 

The  follow^ing  record  has  been  gleaned  from  the  perusal  of 
University  records  (Cornell  Era,  Magazine,  Sun,  etc.)  from  interviews 
with  various  interested  alumni,  and  especially  with  Mr.  Courtney,  and 
also  from  correspondence  with  members  of  various  crews.  Its  compila- 
tion is  the  result  of  a  suggestion  made  by  President  Schurman,  whose 
recognition  of  the  value  of  manly  outdoor  sport  as  an  important  adjunct 
to  University  work  has  been  a  constant  source  of  encouragement  to  the 
writer  in  his  efforts  to  promote  the  same  at  Cornell ;  and  also,  I  might 
add,  whose  public  expression  of  his  liberal  and  progressive  views  con- 
cerning physical  training  has  done  much  to  encourage  aquatic  sports 
among  the  students. 

Acknowledgment  is  due  Mr.  J.  P.  Troy,  of  Ithaca,  N.  Y.,  for 
the  use  of  pictures  of  the  1 906  Races  at  Poughkeepsie,  also  to  Messrs. 
W.  T.  Littig  &  Co.,  of  New  York,  for  the  picture  of  the  Cornell  Univer- 
sity Campus  appearing  at  the  end  of  the  book,  also  to  Mr.  C.  W.  Beck,  Jr. 
of  The  Beck  Engraving  Co.,  Philadelphia,  for  valuable  suggestions  and 
special  care  in  making  the  plates  used  in  this  book. 

C.  V.  p.  YOUNG. 


CORNELL  OF  THE  SEVENTIES 


THE  CORNELL  NAVY 


Interest  in  ro"wing  at  Cornell  may  be  said  to  have  begun  almost  with  the  founding  of  the 
University.  That  such  should  be  the  case  is  hardly  to  be  wondered  at,  in  view  of  its  com- 
manding site  overlooking  the  beautiful  expanse  of  Cayuga  Lake.  The  first  manifestation  of 
the  boating  spirit,  perhaps,  is  to  be  found  in  the  existence  in  '69  of  an  organization  known  as 
the  Undine  Boat  Club,  which  seems,  however,  to  have  been  little  more  than  a  social  club  with 
an  aquatic  name. 

In  the  Fall  of  '70,  as  a  result  of  the  enthusiasm  created  by  the  visit  of  Mr.  Thomas  Hughes 
of  England,  a  few  students  conceived  the  project  of  forming  a  University  Boat  Club,  and  by 
the  beginning  of  the  Spring  trimester  sufficient  funds  had  been  subscribed  to  warrant  them  in 
forming  a  permanent  organization,  which  they  accordingly  did  under  the  title  of  the  Cornell 
University  Boat  Club.  At  about  the  same  time  a  rival  organization  was  formed  under  the  title 
of  the  Cornell  University  Boating  Association.  As  neither  club  could  claim  to  be  the  Univer- 
sity Boat  Club,  however,  at  the  suggestion  of  Professor  Goldwin  Smith,  the  former  club  changed 
its  name  to  the  Tom  Hughes  Club,  while  the  "  Association  "  took  the  name  of  the  Cornell  Navy, 

Mr.  Hughes  acknowledged  the  compliment  by  a  letter,  and  also  by  the  presentation  of  a 
Challenge  Cup.* 

The  letter  is  interesting,  as  characteristic  of  the  w^riter's  know^ledge  of  and  keen  interest 
in  the  sport.  Writing  to  the  Secretary  of  the  Tom  Hughes  Club,  he  says :  "I  have  just  found 
your  letter,  which  I  had  stupidly  mislaid.  I  hope,  however,  that  Mr.  Goldwin  Smith  has  told  you 
that  I  am  very  pleased  and  proud  of  the  compliment  you  have  paid  me  in  naming  the  first 
Cornell  boat  club  after  me.  He  will  also  have  told  you  my  views  as  to  starting  w^ith  a  good 
style  (flat  back,  open  knee,  long  reach  forward  and  sharp  recovery,  and  getting  the  whole  weight 
on  the  oar  by  making  as  much  use  of  legs  as  arms),  also  as  to  pot-hunting  and  expensive  prizes, 
w^hich  spoil  sport.  There  is  no  objection,  however,  to  a  challenge  cup,  to  be  held  by  the  cap- 
tain of  winning  boat  for  the  year,  and  I  will  try  to  pick  up  an  old  one  and  send  it  you  over,  if 
the  club  will  accept  it.  I  am  afraid  it  will  be  a  long  time  before  I  have  any  chance  of  seeing 
Cornell  again,  but  shall  always  retain  a  most  happy  memory  of  my  first  visit. 

Believe  me  most  truly  yours, 

THOS.  HUGHES. 
House  of  Commons,  June  30,  1871." 


*This  cup  and  also  the  Sprague  and  Gluck  cups,  offered  a  few  years  later  for  club  and  and  class  races,  are  now 
in  the  trophy  room  at  Barnes  Hall.  Competition  for  them  ceased  when  six-oared  races  were  abandoned,  or  soon 
thereafter. 

II 


Following  upon  the  formation  of  these  two  clubs,  the  work  of  organization  was  energetic- 
ally pushed.  The  Navy,  with  it  larger  enrollment  of  members,  was  soon  able  to  raise  sufficient 
funds  for  the  purchase  of  lumber  for  a  house,  the  students  building  the  structure  themselves, 
and  also  for  the  purchase  of  equipment.  This  equipment  consisted  of  a  queer  looking  six-oared 
barge,  striped  blue  and  white,  nicknamed  the  "  Striped  Pig ; "  an  eight-oared  gunwale  barge, 
the  "  Cornell,"  to  which  was  added  a  four-oared  outrigger,  called  the  "  Buffalo."  The  Tom 
Hughes  Club  possessed  at  this  time  but  a  single  boat,  a  six-oared  outrigger  called  the  Green 
Barge,  which  was  kept  under  an  old  shed  on  the  Inlet. 

Active  practice  by  both  clubs  began  at  once.  The  training  of  a  Navy  crew  had  been 
intrusted  to  Goldsmith,  the  one  man  who  had  ever  used  a  spoon  oar,  and  whose  instructions 
were  to  "  pull  the  stroke  and  then  let  the  oar  skim  gracefully  back  over  the  water."  A  chal- 
lenge was  soon  received  from  the  Tom  Hughes  crew,  but  it  was  not  deemed  advisable  to  accept. 
In  the  following  spring  ('72),  however,  the  two  crews  came  together  in  the  first  regatta  held 
by  the  Cornell  Navy. 

The  regatta  was  held  on  two  successive  days.  The  first  day's  race  was  between  a  crew 
from  the  Ithaca  Rowing  Association  in  a  four-oared  boat  called  the  "  Biz,"  the  Tom  Hughes 
crew  in  their  six-oared  boat  without  a  coxswain,  and  the  ■  Navy  crew,  made  up  from  the  Class 
of  '73,  in  their  six-oared  boat,  the  "  Striped  Pig,"  and  with  a  coxswain.*  After  two  false  starts, 
they  were  off,  and  the  "  Biz  "  was  skimming  along  finely  when  Number  2's  (Treman)  oar  sud- 
denly snapped.  He  pluckily  leaped  out,  however,  and  the  crew  of  three  continued  on  their 
way,  until  a  few  minutes  later,  Number  3's  oar  broke,  and  then  the  "  Biz  "  reluctantly  yielded 
to  adverse  circumstances  and  turned  shoreward.  Meanwhile,  the  Navy  crew  started  off  in 
good  form  but  before  many  strokes  had  been  taken,  their  boat,  the  "  Striped  Pig,"  began  to 
push  her  nose  under  water  at  each  stroke,  and  soon  after  to  fill,  leaving  her  bold  and  muscular 
crew  to  flounder  in  the  water.  The  Tom  Hughes  Club  rowed  the  mile  and  back  in  eighteen 
minutes  and  ten  seconds  and  won  the  race,  although  in  view  of  all  the  circumstances  they  de- 
cided to  forego  their  claim  on  the  prize. 

This  race  was  followed  by  a  race  between  a  Freshman  crew  made  up  of  Schuyler  (stroke), 
2  Montague,  3  Millspaugh,  4  Walters,  5  Ostrom,  6  Gardner,  7  Nichols,  8  Knight,  with  Kiersted 

as  coxsw^ain,  and  a  "  picked  crew^  selected 
on  the  spot  from  the  crow^d  on  shore. "  It 
was  won  by  the  Freshmen. 

On  the  second  day  of  the  regatta  the 
principal  race  w^as  betv/een  a  University 
crew  stroked  by  Dole,  the  trainer  who  had 
been  secured  to  prepare  a  crew  for  the 
Intercollegiate  Regatta,  with  Dutton,  Gold- 
smith and  Bean,  the  other  members,  and  a 
Union  Springs  crew  of  which  the  two 
Courtney  brothers  w^ere  members.  The 
race  w^as  w^on  handily  by  the  visiting 
four. 


The  Old  Boalhouse  as  it  was  in   1895 


*  These  crews  were  made  up  as  follows :  Ithaca  Rowing  Association — Doyle  (stroke),  2  Treman,  E.  M. 
("a  man  of  song  and  muscle'*);  3  Halsey,  4  Brown.  Tom  Hughes — Anderson  (stroke),  2  Weeks,  3  Devin, 
4  Chadwick,  5  Copeland,  6  Southard.     Navy — Stoddard  (stroke),  2  Dutton,  3  French,  4  Moses,  5  Ferriss,  6  Jayne. 


12 


Shortly  before  the  holding  of  this  regatta,  the  boating  interest  of  Cornell  had  been  har- 
monized and  strengthened  by  the  union  of  the  Tom  Hughes  Club  and  the  Navy,  under  the 
name  of  the  latter.  Through  the  efforts  of  James  B.  Edgerly,  the  secretary,  admission  was 
gained  to  the  Rowing  Association  of  American  Colleges.  A  second-hand  six-oared  cedar 
shell  w^as  purchased  from  the  Yale  Navy,  and  a  number  of  men  vv^ere  placed  under  the  charge 
of  Bill  Dole,  a  professional  coach  and  trainer,  in  preparation  for  the  Springfield  races.  Not- 
w^ithstanding  the  interest  manifested  in  rowing,  how^ever,  cind  the  vigorous  steps  taken  to  raise 
the  necessary  funds,  the  result  v^as  a  humiliating  failure,  and  at  Commencement  time  the  crew^, 
which  had  been  practicing  diligently  during  the  term,  was  forced  to  disband  for  want  of  finan- 
cial support.  Judging  from  the  showing  made  in  the  local  regatta,  it  was  perhaps  as  well  that 
it  w^as  so,  as  far  as  any  chance  of  w^inning  at  Springfield  w^as  concerned. 


Ferriss  (capt.) 


Ander 


73  CREW  AT  QUARTERS 

Phillipi  Coulter  (coach) 

King 
Dutton  (not  in  picture) 


Southard 


Ostrom 


In  '73,  a  crew  had  to  be  sent  to  Springfield,  or  Cornell  would  cease  to  be  a  member  of  the 
Association.  After  strenuous  effort  on  the  part  of  the  Navy,  the  necessary  $1500  were  raised, 
and  a  trainer  was  secured  in  the  person  of  Harry  Coulter,  former  single  scull  champion  of  the 
United  States.  President  White  manifested  his  interest  by  the  gift  of  a  new  cedar  shell. 
Coulter  was  himself  preparing  for  a  race,  and  the  quarters  at  the  comer  of  the  lake  sheltered 
as  hard  working  a  band  of  oarsmen  as  ever  went  into  preparation  for  a  race.  A  member  of 
the  crew  tells  us  what  a  serious  business  training  was.  It  consisted,  he  says,  of  long  daily  rows 
morning  and  afternoon,  supplemented  by  an  hour's  jaunt  of  walking  and  running  in  the  mid- 
day sun,  dressed  in  thick  flannel  shirts  and  sweaters.  Upon  returning  to  their  quarters  they 
were  put  into  bed  for  a  half  hour  under  several  winter  coverlets,  preparatory  to  a  thorough 
rubbing  down.     The  idea  seems  to  have  been  to  reduce  every  man  in  weight  to  the  last  possi- 

13 


ble  extremity.     Even  the  drinking  of  water  was  forbidden,  and  we  are  told  that  purgative 
w^ere  at  times  resorted  to  in  order  to  bring  about  the  desired  results. 

The  crew  left  for  Springfield  the  24th  of  June,  and  at  the  outset  their  chances  of  victory, 
in  spite  of  the  ordeal  through  which  they  had  passed,  were  thought  by  many  to  be  equal  to 
those  of  the  favorites.  Harvard  and  Amherst.  But  in  the  drawing  Cornell  drew  a  position  from 
w^hich  it  was  a  foregone  conclusion  she  could  not  win.  As  a  religious  journal  had  it,  "  When 
the  pious  lot  was  cast  into  the  lap,  the  wicked  crew  (meaning  Cornell)  had  the  worst  position." 


VAR91TY  1873 
King  Ferriss  (capl.)  Southard  Phillips  (sub.) 


Ostrom 


Ande 


It  is  interesting  to  note  the  criticisms  by  the  Era,  directed  at  the  members  of  the  crew  before  they  left  for  Spring- 
field :  "  No.  I  (stroke)  keeps  his  position  well,  but  is  rather  cramped  by  the  boat ;  his  reach  is  good  and  he  feathers 
gracefully— in  fact,  all  his  points  are  well  kept.  No.  2  is  the  most  graceful  of  the  crew  in  rowing.  His  reach  is 
splendid,  and  he  has  good  command  of  his  oar.  No.  3  same,  about,  as  No.  2 ;  perhaps  is  a  trifle  cooler.  No.  4  is 
good  in  all  respects  and  a  very  graceful  rower.  No.  5  is  rather  stiff  in  the  back,  but  is  gaining  rapidly.  In  other 
respects  excellent.  No.  6  is  a  good  bow  oarsman,  but  in  the  old  shell,  which  is  not  large  enough  to  hold  the  crew, 
he  does  not  have  a  fair  chance." 

In  addition  to  eddies  to  be  contended  with,  a  shoal  must  be  crossed  where  the  water  was 
only  a  foot  deep.  In  the  race  Cornell  was  in  the  lead  until  this  shallow  part  was  reached,  but  in 
crossing  it  she  fell  to  about  ninth  place.  "  The  crew  put  all  the  strength  of  their  brawny  arms 
into  their  oars,  as  they  seemed  to  creep  along  over  the  shallow  part ;  but  the  harder  they 
pulled  the  more  they  seemed  to  drag  until  at  last  they  were  in  deep  water  again,  and  their  pow- 
erful stroke  began  to  tell.  Passing  one  boat  after  another,  they  were  leading  the  second  group 
of  boats  as  they  neared  the  grandstand,  and  crossed  the  line  in  fourth  place,  Yale  winning, 
with  Wesleyan  second,  and  Harvard  third."  Under  the  circumstances,  and  with  eleven  crews 
competing,  fourth  place  was  regarded  as  very  creditable,  and  the  Comellians  felt  that  their 
crew  was  one  of  the  best  on  the  river.  This  year  it  was  decided  at  the  convention  of  the 
Rowing  Association  not  to  allow  in  future  the  employment  of  professional  trainers. 

The  following  winter  was  passed  in  desultory  attempts  at  organization,  and  not  until  the 
opening  of  the  rowing  season  was  anything  definite  known  about  the  crew,  although  quarters 
had  been  engaged  for  the  race  at  Saratoga  (Springfield  having  been  given  up  as  a  place  for 
holding    the  regatta).     Throughout    the  spring  training  was  continued  very  much  as  in  the 

14 


preceding  year,  Captain  Ostrom  acting  as  coach.  At  Commencement  time  the  crew  left  for 
Saratoga.  Here  everything  seemed  to  go  against  them,  and  what  w^ith  sickness  of  tw^o  of  the 
members  and  inabihty  to  take  sufficiently  long  practice  spins,  they  entered  the  race  w^ithout 
hope  of  w^inning.  Columbia  w^as  first  this  time,  with  Wesleyan  second,  Harvard  third,  Wil- 
liams fourth,  and  Cornell  fifth  (nine  competitors). 

In  the  fall  of  '74  the  Sprague  Boat  Club  was  organized  to  act  as  a  counterbalance,  within 
the  Navy,  of  the  Tom  Hughes  Club.  A  Fall  Regatta  was  held  in  w^hich  a  race  between  the 
four  class  crew^s  v/as  advertised.  In  this  race,  w^hen  about  half  of  the  course  had  been  cov- 
ered, the  '77  boat  filled  with  water  and  began  to  sink.     The  '76  crew,  which  happened  to  be 


VARSITY  1874 

Henderson 

Ostrom                              Myen 

Garver 

Corwin                         King 

Southard 


Clark 


nearest  to  them,  stopped  rowing  and  went  to  the'r  assistance,  thus  putting  two  crews  out  of 
the  race.  Then  the  '75  crew,  after  gaining  a  clear  lead  of  twelve  lengths,  started  to  sink  just 
before  reaching  the  line  and  it  piow  was  hurriedly  turned  toward  the  shore.  Thus  the  '78 
crew,  which  would  have  been  last  under  normal  conditions,  actually  won  the  race,  and  that, 
too,  when  their  bow  oarsman  had  broken  his  oar  within  the  first  half  mile  and  had  partici- 
pated in  the  race  only  as  a  spectator. 

Nothing  discouraged  by  previous  defeats,  John  Ostrom,  the  "  Old  Man  "  of  the  early  days, 
set  the  men  vigorously  to  work  on  the  two  machines  in  the  gymnasium  through  the  winter  of 
'74-' 75  (the  "machines"  consisted  of  sliding  or  greased  seat,  rope  through  pulley  in  floor 
and  ceiling  and  weight  in  the  cellar)  and  at  the  breaking  up  of  the  ice  candidates^were  set 
to  rowing  in  the  Inlet,  until   in  April  a  crew  was  selected. 


15 


Morse 


Jatvi* 


WINNERS  OF  74  CLASS  REGATTA 

Thompson 
(coach) 


Camp 


Palmer 
Heublin 


The  success  of  the  Freshmen  in  the  Fall  Regatta  had  encouraged  them  also  to  prepare  a 
crew  for  Saratoga,  and  in  this  first  Freshman  crew  appear  the  names  of  "  Jack "  Lewis  and 
"  Al "  Smith,  now  the  director  of  Sibley  College,  and  known  as  "  Uncle  Pete." 

The  coaching  of  a  professional  w^as  denied,  but  fortunately  Ostrom  w^as  w^ell  qualified  for  the 
work.  He  was  remarkable  not  only  in  devising  a  novel  and  effective  style  of  rowing  in  which 
a  sharp,  hard  "  catch  "  was  one  of  the  principal  features,  but  also  remarkable  in  possessing 
great  endurance  and  strength,  and  in  being  able  to  select  men  for  the  other  seats  in  the  two 
boats  -who  w^ere  likew^ise  enthusiastic,  strong  and  determined. 

The  methods  of  training  a  crew  were  now  entirely  changed.  The  old  walks  and  runs 
were  discontinued,  the  men  were  allowed  to  drink  water  freely,  weight  was  kept  up  to  the 
normal  as  far  as  possible,  and  training  made  a  pleasure  instead  of  a  torture. 

In  order  that  the  Varsity  and  Freshman  crews  should  gain  as  much  experience  as  possi- 
ble, the  Courtney  crew  of  Union  Springs  was  invited  to  a  test  of  speed.     This  was  looked  upon 


16 


VARSITY  1875 

Ostrom   (capt.)  King  Jarvis 

Barto  Gillis 

Watennan  Gardner 

as  inviting  disaster,  but  in  the  race  which  follow^ed  the  University  crew  w^on  a  splendid  victory 
and  an  immense  amount  of  enthusiasm  was  aroused  among  the  students  as  a  result. 

In  the  Saratoga  races  the  Cornell  Freshmen  surprised  everybody  by  winning  from  Harvard, 
Brown  and  Princeton.  From  last  place  Jack  Lewis'  steady  rowing  and  sturdy  arm  forced  his 
crew^  to  third  place,  thence  to  second,  and  in  the  last  quarter  to  victory. 

Thirteen  contestants  lined  up  in  the  Varsity  race-  From  the  time  the  word  w^as  given  to 
the  finish  of  the  three  miles  the  struggle  for  mastery  betw^een  the  leaders,  Cornell,  Columbia, 
and  Harvard  w^as  a  desperate  one.  Spurt  follow^ed  spurt,  until  w^ith  a  final  burst  of  speed, 
Cornell  shot  over  the  line  a  w^inner.  The  order  of  finish  w^as  as  follows :  Cornell,  Columbia, 
Harvard,  Dartmouth,  Wesleyan,  Yale,  Amherst,  Brown,  Williams,  Bow^doin,  Hamilton,  Union 
and  Princeton  (Princeton  stopped  row^ing  at  about  the  tw^o-mile  point). 

Enthusiastic  Cornellians  rushed  into  the  w^ater  and  lifting  the  oarsmen  from  the  boat 
marched  w^ith  them  upon  their  shoulders  up  and  down  in  front  of  the  grandstand.  Upon 
their  return  to  Saratoga  the  w^ildest  demonstration  ensued,  and  the  Cornell  oarsmen  w^ere  the 
heroes  of  the  hour.  A  great  dinner  w^as  given  to  them  at  w^hich  w^ere  present  the  captains  of 
all  the  crew^s.  A  palace  car  w^as  provided  for  the  trip  home,  and  the  journey  w^as  like  a 
triumphal  procession.  At  Ithaca  a  great  arch  had  been  erected  on  the  campus,  and  the  town 
turned  out  en  masse  to  join  in  the  w^elcome. 

There  have  been  various  versions  given  as  to  the  origin  of  the  present  Cornell  yell.  One 
has  it  that  it  was  first  given  at  the  finish  of  the  Freshman  race  ;  another  that  it  burst  forth 
spontaneously  w^hen  the  new^s  came  to  the  stand  in  the  Varsity  race  that  Cornell  w^as  leading 

17 


at  the  half-mile  stake.  As  a 
matter  of  fact,  no  organized  yell 
was  given  by  the  thirty  or  forty 
Cornellians  in  the  stand  during 
the  time  of  the  races.  It  was 
w^hile  covering  the  three  or  four 
miles  to  Saratoga  that  various 
yells  were  tried,  one  of  which. 


Smith 


Camp 


FRESHMAN  75 

Carpenter 
Borden  (sub.)  Lewis 

Palmer 


JOHN  N.  OSTROM 
The  "Old  Man"  of  the  70'i 


Cornell-ell-ell-ell,  Cornell,  was  developed  into  Cornell, 
I  yell,  yell,  yell,  Cornell,  and  was  publicly  given  for 
the  first  time  as  the  two  bus  loads  of  Cornellians  drew 
up  before  the  hotel  in  Saratoga.  It  w^as  mentioned  in 
the  new^spapers  as  being  the  first  time  a  Cornell  yell 
had  been  heard.* 


*  The  above  version  was  given  to  the  writer  by  Mr.  R.  H.  Treman 
*78,  who  was  in  the  grandstand  at  the  time,  and  w^as  a  participant 
in  subsequent  events.  He  was  in  the  leading  bus  on  the  return  to 
Saratoga  and  called  to  those  in  the  rear  bus  to  come  up  and  try  a  yell 
they  had  been  practicing. 


18 


VARSITY  RACE  AT  SARATOGA  IN  1875  (Three  Miles) 


1  he  centennial  year  brought  a  second  series  of  sweeping  victories.  Lewis  and  Smith 
w^ere  moved  to  the  Varsity  boat  to  replace  the  tw^o  who  had  graduated,  and  as  thus  made  up, 
the  crew  reached  even  higher  practice  speed  than  had  the  one  of  the  preceding  year.  The 
Freshman  crew  was  no  less  promising,  and  to  complete  the  list  C.  S.  Francis,  whose  name  for 
the  next  twenty  years  was  to  be  closely  associated  with  Cornell  rowing,  was  selected  to  rep- 
resent Cornell  in  single  sculls.  In  '73  C.  S.  Dutton  had  competed  in  singles  and  in  '74  W.  L. 
Phillips,  but  success  had  not  attended  their  efforts.  When  the  eventful  day  at  last  arrived, 
the  very  remarkable  fact  occurred  that  Cornell  took  the  lead  at  the  start  in  each  event  and 
maintained  it  to  the  finish. 

Francis  won  his  race  handily,  being  the  great  single  sculler  of  his  day  among  the  colle- 
gians. His  time  for  the  two  miles  was  1  3  minutes  42  3/4  seconds,  which  established  an  inter- 
collegiate record  for  the  distance,  and  has  not  since  been  equalled. 

In  the  Freshman  race  against  Harvard  and  Columbia,  the  latter  was  hopelessly  out  of  the 
race  before  two  miles  had  been  covered,  and  Harvard  lagged  on  many  lengths  in  the  rear. 
The  Varsity  won  in  a  field  of  six  contestants.  The  coaching  of  this  crew  was  assisted  in  by 
E.  Le  B.  Gardner  '75,  a  substitute  of  the  preceding  year,  w^ho  w^as  appointed  to  an  instructor- 
ship  in  Sibley  College  after  graduation.  The  unprecedented  series  of  victories  of  '75  and  '76 
were  undoubtedly  largely  attributable,  however,  to  the  sound  judgment  and  untiring  efforts  of 
John  N.  Ostrom,  stroke  and  captain  for  the  two  years. 

19 


The  return  of  the  winning  crew 
to  Saratoga  was  a  most  elaborate  and 
superb  affair.  The  trip  home  was 
again  one  long  ovation,  being  w^hat 
Dr.  Potter  termed  "Cornell's  annual 
parade."  Ithaca  simply  w^ent  w^ild 
upon  their  arrival,  forming  a  proces- 
sion a  mile  long  and  assembling  a 
crowd  of  several  thousand  persons  in 
the  park  to  hear  speeches  and  join  in 
the  celebration. 


C.  S.  FRANCIS 

Harvard  now  w^ithdrew  from  the  Rowing 
Association  of  American  Colleges  as  had  Yale 
the  previous  year,  these  two  deciding  in  the 
future  to  row^  by  themselves.  The  New^  York 
Times  in  speaking  of  this  w^ithdrawal  on  their 
part  said,  "  It  cannot  be  denied  that  the  remark- 
able and  altogether  shameless  conduct  of  Cor- 
nell in  making  a  clean  sweep  of  everything  in 
the  Centennial  Regatta  is  an  excellent  proof  of 
the  sagacity  of  certain  colleges  in  retiring  from 
a  conflict  in  which  apparently  they  consider 
they  have  no  chance."  Yale  went  so  far  as  to 
say  that  the  natural  advantages  at  Cornell  were 
such  that  other  colleges  could  not  hope  to  beat 
them — w^hich  may  or  may  not  be  true. 


"Jack"  LEWIS 


20 


VARSITY  1876 
Ostrom  Smith  Jarvis 

Waterman  Barto  Lewis 

(D.)   King  (sub.)  Palmer  (sub.) 


In  '77  Cornell  was  un- 
successful in  securing  a  sin- 
gle race.  Harvard  in  the 
spring  of  '78  sent  a  chal- 
lenge for  a  University  race, 
but  too  late  to  be  consid- 
ered. Finally  during  this 
same  spring,  after  all  hope 
of  a  race  had  been  given 
up  and  practice  had  been 
practically  abandoned. 
Harvard  accepted  the 
Freshman  challenge  of  ear- 
lier date,  and  a  race  vv^as 
arranged  to  be  held  at 
Ensenore  on  Owasco  Lake. 
A  crew  was  immediately 
selected  and  whipped  into 
shape  by  Varsity  oarsmen, 
assisted  at  intervals  by 
Gardner.  As  the  race  was 
to    be    row^ed    in    "eights," 


Ostrom   (capt) 


VARSITY  1876 
Jarvis  Smith 


Barto 


Waterman 


21 


Gregory 


iim 

FRESHMAN 

76 

Wi 

arner 
Icox 

Baker 

Mason 
Dounce 

Doggett 


(sub.) 


and  was  Cornell's  first  venture  in  a  boat  of  that  description,  a  new  boat  w^as  ordered  and 
pending  its  arrival  practice  begun  in  an  "eight"  kindly  loaned  by  Columbia.  The  Freshman 
crew^s  of  '75  and  '76  were  extraordinary  ones,  but  that  of  '78  was  a  phenomenal  one.  Shinkel 
the  stroke,  who  was  afterwards  to  achieve  an  unenviable  notoriety,  w^as  yet  possessed  of  rare 
qualities  as  an  oarsman ;  a  cool  head  and  wonderful  strength  of  muscle,  backed  up  by  pure 
grit.  The  race  proved  to  be  one  of  the  old  time  processions,  as  the  Cornell  crew^  v/as  never 
headed  and  won  by  something  over  three  lengths. 

The  reception  of  the  Freshman  eight  by  students  and  tow^nspeople  did  not  equal, 
perhaps,  those  accorded  to  the  crews  of  earlier  dates,  but  as  the  Era  comments,  "the 
hospitable  village  of  Ithaca  again  displayed  its  good  will  towards  the  victors  in  a  way  that 
could  leave  no  doubt  as  to  the  friendly  relations  between  "  town  and  gown  "  in  at  least  one 
American  town." 

In  '79  a  Cornell  four-oared  crew  was  defeated  on  Lake  George  by  Columbia  and  Wes- 
leyan,  which  was  the  first  University  defeat  since  '74.     Before  this  race  the  Era  said:     "Too 


22 


Curtice 


Cole 


Foster 


FRESHMAN  78 
Shinkel 


Alle 


Cowle 


Jayne  Waterbury 

EJstun  Arnold 


much  confidence  in  the  Cornell  stroke,  and  overconfidence  in  Cornell  muscle,  has  led  to  an 
indifference  that  cannot  help  but  be  disastrous,  and  we  do  not  hesitate  to  declare  that  if  Cornell 
is  defeated  in  the  coming  regatta,  it  will  be  the  best  thing  that  could  possibly  happen  for 
future  crews  at  Cornell."  A  premonition  of  coming  disaster  had  come  as  the  result  of  a 
defeat  at  the  hands  of  a  Watkins  crew  earlier  in  the  term.  By  urgent  request  of  the  crew^ 
and  others,  Ostrom  came  back  about  commencement  time  full  of  hope  as  to  the  possibilities 
that  might  be  developed  by  a  few  weeks  of  earnest,  careful  work.  He  found  the  crew  hope- 
lessly fixed  in  their  ow^n  style  and  methods  of  row^ing,  how^ever ;  after  he  had  vainly  tried  to 
urge  upon  them  certain  reforms,  and  even  protested  against  the  trip  to  Lake  George  because 
of  their  w^retched  preparation,  they  entered  the  race,  as  he  afterwards  wrote,  "  over-confident 
of  their  ow^n  pov/ers,  and  indifferent  to  those  of  their  competitors." 

In  the  Fall  Regatta  of  this  year  another  farcical  race  took  place.  The  class  of  '80  w^as 
represented  by  a  six-oared  crew^  in  an  eight-oared  boat  and  carrying  a  coxsw^ain,  w^hile  '8 1 
and  *82  row^ed  in  six-oared  boats.  The  sport  began  by  a  collision  between  '80  and  '8 1 , 
shortly  after  which  '8  1  's  shell  suddenly  broke  in  the  middle,  the  two  ends  going  high  up  in 
the  air.  After  rounding  the  stake,  '82's  boat  sank  about  a  quarter  of  a  mile  from  the  finish, 
w^hile  the  crew^  in  the  eight-oared  shell  crossed  the  line  high  and  dry. 

23 


Mann 


Jayne 


VARSITY  1879 
Ostrom  Shinkel  Lewis 


AUe 


Warner 


As  a  result  of  the  defeat  of  the  '79 
crew,  the  opening  of  the  season  of  1 880 
was  inauspicious  for  the  Navy.  After  the 
hardest  kind  of  work  on  the  part  of  a  few 
row^ing  enthusiasts,  a  crew^  w^as  again 
entered  for  the  Lake  George  Regatta,  this 
time  to  meet  Columbia  and  Pennsylvania. 
Columbia  was  the  favorite,  having  won  the 
year  before  and  having  already  defeated 
Pennsylvania  in  a  race  on  the  Schuylkill. 
The  Pennsylvania  four  was  a  perfect  row- 
ing machine,  having  been  coached  by  the 
veteran  oarsman,  Ellis  Ward,  but  it  lacked 
the  dash  and  tremendous  power  of  the 
Cornell  crew,  and  lost  the  race  by  a  narrow 
margin.  Columbia  came  in  a  poor  third. 


The  Old  Gymnasium  Remodeled 


24 


In  1  88  1  the  victors  of  the  Lake  George  Regatta  were  sent  to  compete  in  the  Henley  races, 
where  after  five  weeks'  training  they  lost  the  three  contests  in  which  they  were  entered. 
They  were  not  allowed  to  row  in  the  college  race  which  they  especially  desired  to  enter,  and 
in  the  other  races  were  pitted  against  the  best  boat  clubs  in  England.  English  oarsmen  were 
fair  enough  to  give  Cornell  the  compliment  of  sending  out  the  best  college  crew  in  the  world. 


Read  (sub.) 


Shinkel 


VARSITY  1880  and  1881 
Lewis 


Cowle 


Alle 


The  crew  also  rowed  in  a  regatta  on  the  Danube  at  Vienna,  in  which,  after  gaining 
a  lead  of  four  or  five  lengths,  the  stroke  fainted  or  pretended  to  faint.  It  is  hardly  necessary 
to  go  into  details  of  the  wretched  affair.  The  Era  summed  the  whole  matter  up  by  saying : 
"  We  were  beaten  in  England  by  the  best  crews  in  the  world  aided  by  circumstances  very 
unfavorable  to  us.  We  w^ere  beaten  at  Vienna  through  the  treachery  of  a  member  of  our 
crew^.  Humiliating  as  this  admission  is,  w^e  believe  it  to  be  true,  and  in  justice  to  the  other 
members  of  the  crew^  the  facts  should  be  know^n." 

As  a  result  of  this  experience  upon  foreign  w^aters  and  the  debt  entailed  by  the  trip,  the 
Fall  and  Winter  of  '8  I  was  the  darkest  period  of  the  Navy.  It  was  not  decided  until  six  weeks 
before  the  Lake  George  Regatta  that  a  crew  could  be  sent.  Practice  was  then  being  held  in 
an  "  eight,"  and  the  four-oared  shell  that  had  been  ordered  w^as  not  delivered  until  two  w^eeks 
before  the  race.  In  the  race,  Cornell  took  the  lead  and  held  it  for  part  of  the  first  mile,  from 
which  position  she  gradually  fell  to  fourth  place.  Princeton  was  leading  at  the  last  quarter, 
but  w^as  forced  to  give  w^ay  to  Wesleyan,  w^hen  suddenly  Pennsylvania  by  a  burst  of  speed 
passed  the  two  and  won  the  race,  Cornell  and  Bowdoin  coming  in  last. 

In  '83  Cornell  had  one  of  the  best  "  fours  "  in  her  history.  In  a  regatta  at  Cazenovia,  she 
defeated  an  Elmira  four  and  Syracuse.  In  this  race,  shortly  after  the  start,  Cornell's  rudder 
broke,  but  the  bow^  oarsman  simply  told  the  men  to  foIIow^  his  instructions,  and  pull  light  or 
strong  as  he  directed.  A  spectator  w^ould  have  observed  nothing  unusual,  and  the  boat  w^ent 
straight  for  the  finish  buoys,  losing  little  distance  by  the  mishap. 

25 


Reed 


Cowle 


VARSITY  1882 


Swarwout 


Tuthill 


Holman 


At  the  Lake  George  Regatta,  Cornell  competed  with  what  were  said  to  have  been  the 
strongest  crew^s  she  had  ever  met.  The  Princeton  "  four  "  had  defeated  several  boat  clubs, 
and  her  trainer  pronounced  them  "  the  fastest  crew  in  America."  Pennsylvania  also  had 
defeated  the  Crescents  in  record  time  on  the  Schuylkill.  Cornell  had  received  ten  days 
coaching  from  Courtney,  and  final  touches  during  the  few  days  at  Lake  George  by 
C.  S.  Francis,  but  otherwise  were  self-taught.  Nevertheless,  they  astonished  the  rowing 
world  by  defeating  Princeton  and  Pennsylvania  by  32  seconds,  Pennsylvania  coming  in 
second,  and  the  "  fastest  crew  in  America "  third. 

The  '84  crew  was  again  coached  for  a  period  by  Courtney,  and  was  thought  to  be  faster 
even  than  the  crew  of  the  preceding  year.  Nevertheless,  two  races  were  loss  to  Pennsylvania, 
one  on  the  Schuylkill  by  three-quarters  of  a  second,  after  a  quarter-mile  spurt,  and  the  other 
at  Lake  George,  where  only  a  foot  separated  the  two  prows  at  the  finish.  For  the  last  hundred 
yards  of  this  race  each  boat  had  gone  ahead  with  the  stroke,  neither  being  able  to  gain  an 
advantage,  and  in  this  position  the  line  was  crossed,  making  it  the  closest  intercollegiate  race 
on  record. 


26 


Raht 


Oiate 


VARSITY  1883 

Courtney 
Wilcox 


Scofield 


Beginning  with  the  year 

1  885,  Cornell  entered  upon 
a  series  of  victories,  Varsity 
and  Freshman,  which  is 
perhaps  without  parallel  in 
the  history  of  college  row- 
ing. As  a  matter  of  fact, 
after  the  '78  race  w^ith 
Harvard  there  was  no 
Freshman  crew^  sent  out 
from  Ithaca  until  1  890  and 
the  first  Freshman  crew^  to 
be  defeated  was  in  the  year 
1897,  when  Yale  and  Har- 
vard both  crossed  the  line 
ahead  of  her.  But  between 
the  years  I  884  and  1895, no 
Varsity  crew  w^as  defeated, 
although  rowing  in  every 
year  except  '86.  This  may 
be  said  to  have  been  largely 
due  to  the  excellent  coach- 
ing of  Charles  E.  Courtney. 
Although  his  position  as 
permanent  coach  did  not 
begin  until  the  year  1 889, 
yet  he  assisted  in  the  train- 
ing   for    five    or  six    years 


Swartwout  (capt.) 


COURTNEY.  IN  RACING  TRIM 
27 


CoriK  I 


Barney 


VARSITY    1884 
Scofield  Raht 


Rowland 


Church 


previous  to  that  time,  and  his  advice  had  been  a  determining  factor.  His  methods, 
it  need  hardly  be  said,  were  those  suggested  by  common-sense.  He  w^as  constantly 
learning,  and  this  know^ledge  backed  up  by  skill  in  building  and  rigging  boats,  and  splendid 
judgment  in  the  selection  of  crews  from  the  available  candidates,  soon  combined  to  establish 
at  Cornell  a  system  w^hich  w^ill  probably  continue  as  long  as  intercollegiate  row^ing  exists. 

In  1 885  Cornell  w^on  from  Pennsylvania  on  the  Schuylkill,  low^ering  the  record  for  the 
course.  In  a  regatta  held  upon  Lake  Quinsigamond,  at  Worcester,  Mass.,  her  crew^  finished 
first  in  a  field  of  four,  but  was  ruled  out  on  account  of  fouling  with  Bowdoin.  Bowdoin's 
course  w^as  a  very  irregular  one  and  it  appeared  to  impartial  critics  that  she  w^as  the  offender 
if  blame  w^ere  to  be  placed  upon  any  one.  At  any  rate,  at  one  point  in  the  race  the  oars  of  the 
tw^o  boats  interlocked ;  neither  lost  but  a  second,  and  both  started  again,  Cornell  v/inning, 
w^ith  Brow^n  second,  Bow^doin  third,  and  Pennsylvania  fourth.  Bow^doin  protested  the  race, 
how^ever,  and  much  to  everybody's  surprise,  Cornell  and  Pennsylvania  w^ere  barred  out  entirely 
{the  former  for  coming  in  first,  probably,  and  the  latter  for  coming  in  last),  and  Brow^n  and 
Bow^doin  told  to  row^  again  to  decide  the  w^inner.     This  race  w^as  vv^on  by  Bow^doin. 

In  '86  a  crew  was  selected  and  went  into  training,  but  at  the  last  moment  its  entry  was 
writhdraw^n,  w^hether  because  of  lack  of  funds  or  for  other  reasons  is  not  clearly  stated.  The 
reputation  of  the  Navy  was  upheld  by  the  victory  of  H.  S.  Howland  in  the  Junior  single  scull 


28 


Scofield 


VARSITY  1885 

Olmstead  Rowland 


Holn 


event  at  the  National  Regatta.  He  was  pitted  against  severaPof  the  fastest  amateurs  in  the 
country,  but  crossed  the  line  well  in  the  lead,  after  a  "stern  chase"  throughout  almost  the  entire 
length  of  the  course. 

In  1887  Cornell  won  a  race  at  Newark,  on  the  Passaic,  against  three  boat  clubs,  and  at 
Worcester  defeated  Bowdoin  by  less  than  three  feet  over  a  mile  and  a  half  course,  after  a 
struggle  which  left  both  crews  completely  exhausted  and  hardly,  able  to  maintain  their  seats. 
The  Cornell  crew^  had  been  coached  by  Albert  Hamm  and  John  Teemer,  tw^o  professional 
oarsmen  who  were  preparing  for  the  National  championship. 

29 


Peck 


VARSITY  1887 
Stranahan  Balch 

Teemer  (coach)  Psolta 


Fielde 


The  following  year  Cornell  rowed  her  last  Varsity  race  in  a  "  four,"  defeating  Pennsylva- 
nia and  the  New  York  Row^ing  Club  at  Philadelphia.  The  crew^  w^as  accompanied  by  Court- 
ney, and  because  of  their  diminutive  size  as  compared  with  other  crews,  had  been  nicknamed 
before  the  race  "  Courtney's  babies."  In  the  first  race  (tw^o  heats  vv^ere  row^ed  on  successive 
days)  one  of  the  "  babies  "  slipped  his  seat  at  the  start  and  they  w^ere  five  lengths  in  the  rear 
w^hen  they  finally  got  off.  Nevertheless,  the  "  babies  "  w^on  the  race,  and  vs^ithin  a  fev/  seconds 
of  the  best  record  ever  made  on  the  course. 

For  the  first  time  in  the  history  of  American  boating  a  college  student,  Commodore  Psotta 
of  the  Cornell  Navy,  this  year  won  the  amateur  championship  of  America  in  Senior  singles  at 
the  National  Regatta.  The  next  year  he  row^ed  at  the  Henley  Regatta,  w^inning  the  tw^o  pre- 
liminary heats,  but  losing  in  the  finals.  In  one  of  the  heats,  Psotta's  opponent  ran  into  some 
skiffs,  but  Psotta  stopped  row^ing,  w^aited  for  him  to  catch  up,  and  then  spurted  ahead  and 
won  the  race.  He  entered  the  finals  a  sick  man,  having  lost  thirty  pounds  during  his  six 
w^eeks'  stay  in  England,  and  his  pluck  and  skill  v/ere  everyw^here  commented  upon. 

In  '89  Cornell  w^as  represented  by  her  first  Varsity  "eight."  TTie  historic  crew^s  of  the  '76 
period  w^ere  six-oared  and,  w^ith  the  exception  of  a  Freshman  "  eight,"  from  that  time  on  vv^ere 
four-oared.  A  three-mile  race  vv^as  arranged  -with  Columbia  and  Pennsylvania  at  Nevv^  London, 
Cornell  won,  but  the  Cornell  and  Columbia  boats  lapped  each  other  almost  the  entire  distance, 
and  only  nine  seconds  separated  them  from  Pennsylvania.  Cornell  also  w^on  the  Sharpless 
cup  against  tw^o  boat  clubs  at  Philadelphia,  and  on  the  follow^ing  day  w^on  the  Child's  cup 
against  Pennsylvania,  in  which  race  a  w^orld's  record  of  6  minutes  40  seconds  was  established 
for  one  and  a  half  miles. 

30 


McComb 


VARSITY  1888 
Thayer  Dollar 


Tobey  (capt.) 


VARSITY  1889 


Barke 
Colnon 


(sub.)  Marston 

Tobey  Courtney 

Ross  Dole 


Hagerman  Healey  (sub.) 

Thayer  (capt.)  Benedict 

Einerick 

31 


The  success  of  the  '89 
crew  created  great  enthusi- 
asm, and  for  the  following 
year  a  Freshman  crew^  in 
addition  to  the  Varsity  w^as 
decided  upon.  The  Varsity 
crew^  had  no  difficulty  in  de- 
feating Bow^doin  in  a  race 
on  Cayuga  Lake.  They  also 
w^on  from  Pennsylvania  at 
New^  London,  establishing 
a  record  of  I  4  minutes  43 
seconds  for  the  three  miles. 
Entering  upon  the  second 
mile  of  this  race,  stroke 
Dole's  oar  struck  a  w^ave, 
and  it  flew^  from  his  grasp, 
striking  him  on  his  chest 
and  knocking  him  back- 
ward. No.  7  (Upton)  rowed 
one  stroke  over  his  prostrate 
form  and  at  the  next  pushed 
him  back  into  place,  so  that 
he  caught  his  oar  and  went 
on  without  a  break,  the  boat 
meanwhile  maintaining  its 
lead  and  winning  by  tw^o 
lengths. 


VARSITY  1890 

Emerick       Dole       Upton       Hagerman       Marston       Hill       Wolfe       Benedict  (capt.)       Osgood 

A  Freshman  race  was  arranged  with  Columbia  and,  ow^ing  to  a  misunderstanding  on  the 
part  of  Yale  and  Harvard,  Yale  w^as  admitted  to  a  triangular  contest.  The  Yale  Freshmen 
w^ere  a  stalw^art  crew^,  and  w^ere  expected  by  their  partisans  to  give  a  good  account  of  them- 
selves. The  race  attracted  a  good  deal  of  attention  as  being  the  first  opportunity  to  compare 
the  Courtney  and  Cook  methods. 

From  the  start  the  Cornell  Freshmen  jumped  into  the  lead,  increasing  it  to  tw^o  lengths 
over  Yale  at  the  end  of  the  first  mile  and  three  at  the  finish,  establishing  a  record  of  1  I  minutes 
16  1/4  seconds  for  Freshman  crew^s.  Yale  led  Columbia  by  one  length.  Bob  Cook  is  reported 
to  have  said  as  the  flag  dropped  at  the  finish,  "  I  never  w^ant  to  see  that  stroke  again." 

In  '9 1  both  Varsity  and  Freshman  crews  were  up  to  the  usual  standard,  the  Freshman 
defeating  Columbia  at  New^  London,  and  the  Varsity  w^inning  from  Pennsylvania  and  Colum- 
bia in  the  w^orld's  record  time  of  14  minutes  27  1/2  seconds.  As  the  Columbia  Freshmen 
defeated  Yale  and  Harvard,  Cornell  held  the  undoubted  supremacy  in  the  Freshman  crews. 


CORNELL  BOATHOUSE  (AS  BUILT  IN  1890) 


CORNELL  LAUNCH 


32 


i^J-U-U 


VARSITY  1891 

Allen       Witherbee       Marston       Kelley       Wagner       Hill       Wolfe  (capt.)        Benedict       Young 

Both  races  vs^ere  held  on  Cayuga  Lake  the  next  year.  The  Columbia  Freshmen  vs^ere  de- 
feated by  7  1/2  lengths  and  the  Pennsylvania  Varsity  by  5  lengths.  The  New  York  Athletic 
Club  was  also  defeated  by  the  Varsity  on  the  Passaic  River,  in  which  race  the  record  for  the 
course  v/as  lowered  by  tw^elve  seconds.  Through  a  misunderstanding  of  the  signal,  Cornell 
was  tw^o  lengths  behind  at  the  start,  but  the  distance  vv^as  made  up  in  the  first  half  mile. 


VARSITY  1892 
Kelley       Barr       Wagner      Dole       Marston  (capt.)       Witherbee      Gilson       Hall       Allen 


In  '93  the  Columbia  Freshmen  were  defeated  at  New  London  by  I  1  lengths,  and  the 
Pennsylvania  Varsity,  coached  by  Mr.  Woodruff,  Yale's  famous  oarsman,  was  defeated  at  Lake 
Minnetonka,  in  Minnesota,  by  2  1  /2  lengths  in  the  first  four-mile  contest.  The  Cornell  crew 
rowed  in  an  aluminum  boat  by  way  of  experiment,  the  metal  being  manufactured  by  Cowles 
of  the  '8  1   Henley  crew,  but  the  change  did  not  commend  itself  as  being  advantageous. 

33 


She 


VARSITY  1893 
Hall       Gilson      Troy      Shape      Robbing      Hagar       Barr  (capt.)       Freeborn 


The  Pennsylvania  Varsity  was  again  defeated  in  '94  at  Philadelphia,  while  the  Freshmen 
defeated  the  Dauntless  Boat  Club  of  New  York  on  Cayuga  Lake.  Down  to  this  time,  Cornell 
had  won  19  Varsity  races  at  home  and  lost  6. 


George  Pease  Witherbee,  to  whose  memory  the  With- 
erbee  Club  House  on  Percy  Field  was  erected,  was 
drowned  on  Lake  Champlain  in  the  summer  of  '92.  While 
out  sailing  with  a  party  of  boys,  the  yacht  was  capsized  by 
a  sudden  squall.  The  boat  was  heavily  ballasted  with  iron, 
and  immediately  sank.  Witherbee,  true  to  the  manly 
spirit  which  always  characterized  him,  endeavored  to  save 
one  of  his  companions  and  lost  his  life  in  the  attempt. 
"  One  of  Cornell's  best  students,  ablest  athletes  (captain  of 
the  Football  Team  for  the  following  year),  and  a  true 
gentleman.' 


GEORGE  PEASE  WITHERBEE 


34 


Hagar 


Shape 


Carver 


'Walt"  Fowler 


Brown  (Com.)  Freeborn  (F.  W.)  Hamilton  (sub.) 

Robbins  Hall  (capt.)  Dyer  Troy   (sub.) 

Allen  Freeborn   (A.  C.) 

Because  of  her  long  list  of  victories,  it  was  decided  in  1 895 
to  send  a  crew  to  compete  in  the  Henley  Regatta.  The  Henley 
course  is  one  mile  550  yards  in  length.  The  crew  left  about  six 
weeks  before  the  time  of  the  races.  TTie  first  heat  was  against 
Leander  and  w^as  won  on  a  fluke,  the  Leanders  not  row^ing  more 
than  a  half  dozen  strokes  and  protesting  the  start,  which  protest, 
however,  was  not  allowed.  The  second  heat  was  against  Trinity 
Hall,  a  Cambridge  eight,  and  at  about  the  mile  post,  w^hen  in  the 
lead,  a  Cornell  man  caught  a  crab  w^hich  knocked  the  oar  out  of 
his  hand,  and  the  crew^  w^ent  to  pieces,  thus  ending  another  ex- 
cursion to  foreign  w^aters  in  humiliating  failure. 

Concerning  the  Leander  incident,  there  is  no  question  but 
that  the  crew  acted  under  its  legal  rights  in  accepting  the  deci- 
sion of   the  Stewards  as  final,  but  it  failed  never  the  less  to  do 

35 


Colsi 


Hall 


HENLEY  CREW  ON  THE  THAMES  1895 

Dyer  Fennell  Freeborn    (capt.)  Hagar 


Spilln 


the  right  thing,  whatever  may  be  urged  in  extenuation.  The  crew  and  its  advisers  certainly 
failed  accurately  to  appreciate  the  sentiment  of  English  row^ing  men  regarding  the  extent  to 
which  courtesy  as  opposed  to  law  or  technicality  should  prevail  in  such  an  emergency. 
A  great  opportunity  was  sacrificed  in  not  at  once  insisting  upon  another  start,  or  at  least 
offering  Leander  the  chance  to  row  in  another  race. 


HENLEY— BETWEEN  HEATS 
36 


HENLEY- FINISH  OF  COURSE 


In  explanation  of  their  position,  the  members  of  the  crew  gaye  out  the  following  state- 
ment prior  to  their  departure  from  England : 

"  In  view  of  the  discussion  over  the  action  of  the  Cornell  crew  in  Tuesday's  race,  we 
believe  the  position  of  the  Cornell  crew  in  the  matter  should  be  clearly  defined.  The 
umpire,  as  we  interpret  the  rules  of  racing,  has  entire  control  of  a  race  after  it  has  been 
started,  and  to  disregard  his  command  is  sufficient  reason  to  disqualify  a  crew.  On  Tuesday 
the  usual  question  '  Are  you  ready  ? '  was  asked,  and  as  no  negative  reply  was  heard  by  the 
umpire  from  either  crew,  the  word  '  Go '  was  given.  Cornell  started  and  Leander  also  drew 
away  from  the  post.  We  soon  discovered  that  Leander  had  stopped  rowing,  but  the  umpire 
did  not  recall  us,  nor  did  he  in  any  way  indicate  his  desire  to  have  us  return.  Had  he  done 
so  w^e  w^ould  have  stopped  at  any  point  on  the  course.  He  follow^ed  us  to  the  finish,  and 
aw^arded  us  the  heat. 

"  Under  the  rules  governing  racing  as  we  understand  them,  had  Cornell  not  rowed  over 
the  course,  we  would  have  been  liable  to  disqualification  from  entry  into  any  subsequent  heat, 
and  thereby  debarred  from  further  competition  for  the  grand  challenge  contest.  No  one  can 
regret  the  outcome  of  this  lamentable  affair  more  than  the  members  of  the  Cornell  crew. 
They  certainly  did  not  come  to  England  to  claim  a  race  from  Leander  or  any  other 
crew^  by  default. 

"The  crew  has  never  authorized  any  statement  to  the  effect  that  Cornell  would  not 
consider  a  proposition  for  another  trial  between  Leander  and  ourselves.     However,  we  did 

37 


not  feel  at  liberty  to  suggest  a  contest  until  after  the  subsequent  heats  had  been  decided.  It 
certainly  would  have  been  premature  on  the  part  of  Cornell  to  take  any  action  in  the  matter 
before  the  result  of  the  subsequent  heat  in  which  Cornell  was  to  row,  since  Leander 
w^ould  undoubtedly  not  care  to  row^  us  had  w^e  been  defeated  by  another  crew^.  So  far  as 
Cornell  is  concerned  in  connection  with  the  grand  challenge  cup,  w^e  acknow^ledge  our  defeat 
after  a  hard  race  with  Trinity  Hall.  We  have  no  excuses  to  offer ;  w^e  w^ere  fairly  beaten,  and 
w^e  take  this  opportunity  to  express  our  sincere  thanks  to  the  English  public  for  the  many 
courtesies  extended  to  us  during  our  five  w^eeks'  sojourn  in  their  country." 

(Signed)  "  Freeborn." 

Thus  closes  a  second  chapter  in  the  history  of  Cornell  rowing.     May  the  third  have  a 
more  auspicious  ending ! 


Slade 


Chriswell        Moore 


POUGHKEEPSIE  CREW  1895 
Crawford        Johnston        Sanborn        Tatum 


Troy        Richardson 


At  home,  in  the  initial  regatta  held  at  Poughkeepsie,  Cornell  also  suffered  defeat.  The 
race  was  rowed  in  very  rough  water,  Pennsylvania's  shell  sinking  at  the  three  mile  point,  and 
Cornell's  just  after  crossing  the  line  five  lengths  behind  Columbia.  The  Freshman  crew  won 
from  Pennsylvania  on  Cayuga  Lake.* 

There  has  been  considerable  discussion  as  to  whether  or  not  the  Cornell  stroke  was 
materially  altered  as  a  result  of  the  Henley  experience.  A  very  illuminating  letter  from 
President  B.  I.  Wheeler  of  California  University,  formerly  professor  at  Cornell,  and,  with  the 
exception  of  the  trip  abroad,  in  charge  of  Cornell  boating  interests  for  many  years,  may  be 
cited  on  this  point:  "There  is  no  doubt,"  he  says,  "that  our  crew  in  the  Henley  year  tried 
a  sharper,  quicker  stroke,  having  some  regard  to  the  shortness  of  the  Henley  course,  and  that 
in  following  years  the  stroke  was  gradually  lengthened  out.  Mr.  Courtney  at  the  time  told 
me  that  the  stroke  accommodated  itself  to  the  convenience  and  power  of  the  men  who 
*During  Courtney's  absence  abroad  with  the  Henley  crew,  his  place  was  ably  filled  by  Fred  R.  White  of  Cleve- 
land, Ohio,  a  senior  in  the  Law  School  and  Manager  of  the  Football  team.  He  had  also  directed  the  work  of  the 
Freshman  crew  the  previous  year. 

38 


happened  to  be  in  the  boat,  particularly  the  stroke  oar.  There  can  be  no  doubt,  however, 
that  the  Cornell  stroke  was  a  much  longer  and  slower  stroke  in  the  years  succeeding 
Henley,  but  it  must  be  remembered  that  in  1897  and  1898  a  stroke  oar  of  characteristic  figure 
sat  in  the  boat,  and  he  w^as  not  unlikely  to  be  a  very  determining  factor  in  w^hat  the  crew^  did. 
In  training  his  crew^s  Mr.  Courtney  rarely  paid  attention  to  the  number  of  strokes  a  minute, 
further  than  to  note  the  fact.  He  rarely,  if  ever,  gave  any  directions  as  to  the  length  of  the 
stroke  or  the  time.  I  have  been  with  him  so  much  on  the  coaching  launch  that  I  can  vouch 
for  this  much.  If  you  can  solve  the  riddle  of  the  fact  of  the  lengthened  stroke  you  can 
certainly  do  more  than  I  can."  This  viev/  would  seem  to  bear  out  the  contention  of  Cornell 
oarsmen  and  of  Mr.  Courtney  himself,  that  the  stroke  has  alw^ays  been  fundamentally  the 
same  w^ith  the  exception  of  slight  modifications,  but  that  its  length  or  rapidity  is  largely  deter- 
mined by  the  individual  characteristics  of  the  members  of  the  crew^. 

In  '96,  ow^ing  to  another  interruption  of  athletic  relations  betw^een  Yale  and  Harvard  and 
largely  through  the  efforts  of  Professor  H.  S.  White  of  the  Cornell  Faculty  (Harvard  '73),  a  two 
year  row^ing  agreement  w^as  made  w^ith  Harvard,  and  Pennsylvania  and  Columbia  w^ere 
invited  to  join  in  a  four  cornered  race,  Poughkeepsie  being  agreed  upon  as  the  place  for 
holding  the  regatta. 

Casper  Whitney  conceded  this  race  to  Harvard,  as  being  the  fastest  and  smoothest 
rowing  crew  on  the  river.  However,  if  Columbia,  with  seven  of  her  last  year's  crew^, 
improved  as  she  had  the  power  of  doing,  she  might  surprise  them  all,  while  Cornell,  he 
said,  could  hardly  be  expected  to  maintain  her  excellent  form  and  speed   after  tw^o  miles. 

The  Freshmen  won  their  race  in  magnificent  form,  although  at  the  second  stroke,  her 
bow^  oarsman's  lock  spread  and  for  the  greater  part  of  the  two  miles  his  attention  was  con- 
centrated upon  the  oar  for  fear  that  contact  with  the  rough  water  would  throw  it  from  the 
lock.     In  the  Varsity  race,  Harvard  led   for  the  first  mile,  and  was  even  with  Cornell  at  the 


Ludla 


Chr 


\.-\RSlTY  1896 
(Immediately  after  race  at  Poughkeepsie) 
Moore       Freeborn    (capt.)        Savage       Spillman 


Tatum       Briggs      Cclson 


39 


second,  but  from  that  point,  Cornell  gradually  forged  to  the  front,  winning  by  something  over 
two  lengths,  and  establishing  a  record  of  19  minutes  29  seconds  for  the  four  miles.  Harvard 
w^as  second,  Pennsylvania  third  and  Columbia  fourth. 


VARSITY  1897 
Colson       Briggs      Savage      Spillman       Odell       King 


Ben  tie 


Wake 


The  following  year  athletic  relations  were  resumed  between  Harvard  and  Yale.  At 
Harvard's  suggestion,  Cornell  acquiesced  in  a  three-cornered  race  to  be  held  at  Poughkeepsie, 
the  request  of  the  Cornell  Council  that  Pennsylvania  and  Columbia  be  also  invited  to  participate, 
not  being  assented  to.  The  Harvard  crew  was  this  year  coached  by  Mr.  Lehman,  the  famous 
English  oarsman.  At  the  time  of  the  race,  he  regarded  the  Harvard  crew  as  a  fair  average 
of  a  good  Oxford  or  Cambridge  crew.  Bob  Cook,  the  Yale  coach,  considered  Harvard's 
crew^  the  fastest  she  had  ever  had,  and  that  the  race  w^as  in  doubt  as  betw^een  Harvard  and 
Yale. 

The  race  itself  was  described  by  a  metropolitan  paper  somewhat  as  follows :  Yale  started 
behind  Harvard,  but  after  a  dozen  strokes  they  w^ere  as  nearly  level  as  possible.  Cornell  w^as 
half  a  length  in  the  rear  and  w^ould  of  course  disappear  entirely,  then  for  a  minute  all  w^ere 
even.  At  the  mile,  it  looked  as  if  Cornell  w^ere  leading ;  at  the  mile  and  a  half  Yale  was  half 
a  length  ahead  of  Harvard,  and  from  that  point  it  v/as  a  continual  struggle  betv/een  the  tw^o 
for  second  honors.  Cornell  was  row^ing  w^ith  perfect  smoothness  and  ease,  but  she  seemed 
constantly  to  gain.  At  the  two  mile  and  a  half  point  she  led  Yale  by  tw^o  lengths,  w^hich  w^as 
gradually  increased  to  four  at  the  finish,  with  Harvard  3-1/2  lengths  behind  Yale.  Harvard's 
stroke  fainted  as  the  line  w^as  reached,  and  several  others  w^ere  on  the  point  of  collapse,  but 
the  other  crew^s  seemed  little  the  worse  for  the  four  mile  struggle. 

One  correspondent  said  that  Cornell  won  the  race  with  so  little  seeming  effort  that  one 
could  hardly  believe  she  w^asn't  rowing  in  a  steam  launch.  Bob  Cook  said  it  w^as,  w^ith  the 
exception  of  Henley,  the  first  real  race  Yale  had  rowed  in  for  ten  years,  and  that  it  was  a 
contest  in  w^hich  Yale  might  'weW  feel  proud  to  have  come  in  second. 

40 


In  the  Freshman  race,  Cornell  lost  for  the  first  time  in  the  history  of  her  Freshman  crews, 
Yale  and  Harvard  both  crossing  the  line  in  front  of  her  and  all  three  crews  breaking  the 
record  for  tw^o  miles. 

A  week  later  the  Freshmen  defeated  Pennsylvania  and  Columbia  in  a  terrific  struggle, 
while  the  Varsity  defeated  Columbia  by  ten  lengths,  Pennsylvania  sw^amping  at  about  the  tv/o 
and  a  half  mile  point.  Earlier  in  the  year  the  Cornell  second  Varsity  defeated  the  Naval 
Cadets  at  Annapolis  over  a  tw^o  mile  course  by  about  tw^o  lengths. 


VARSITY  1898 

Colson       Briggs       Savage       Beardslee       Moore       Bailey       Wakeman       Bentley       Dalzell 


'FrecUie"   Briggs  at  New  London    1898 
(Before  the  Race) 


In  '98,  the  arrangement  of  the  preceding  year  continued, 
except  that  the  race  with  Yale  and  Harvard  was  held  at  New 
London.  Mr.  Lehman  returned  to  coach  Harvard,  and  Yale 
joined  in  the  race. 

The  struggle  for  first  place  w^as  again  betw^een  Yale  and 
Cornell,  the  latter  winning  by  1 4  seconds.  The  Freshman  race 
w^as  also  a  repetition  of  the  previous  year's  contest,  the  result 
being  in  doubt  until  the  very  last,  and  the  three  boats  lapping 
as  they  crossed  the  line,  Yale  first,  Harvard  second,  and  Cornell 
third. 

A  w^eek  later  came  the  Saratoga  Regatta  in  w^hich  the  Var- 
sity race  w^as  w^on  by  Pennsylvania  by  three  lengths,  Wisconsin 
third,  but  fighting  it  out  with  Cornell  for  second  place,  and 
Columbia  fourth.  At  the  mile  point  Wisconsin  led  slightly, 
but   the  four  boats  w^ere   neck  and   neck.     Cornell   gained   on 


41 


:-,.<■  .yy^- v^^^^gH^ii  nm,gy>j.^^E^yiM^ 


FINISH  AT  NEW  LONDON 

(CorneU) 


(Yale) 


(Harvard) 


Wisconsin,  but  before  the  two  mile  post  was  reached  the  Pennsylvania  boat  went  ahead  with 
a  rush,  while  Columbia  was  gradually  dropping  to  the  rear.  The  Pennsylvania  men  responded 
gamely  to  the  calls  of  their  coxswain  and  from  the  beginning  of  the  last  mile  slowly  increased 
their  lead.  There  was  a  glorious  sprint  down  the  stretch  between  Wisconsin  and  Cornell, 
the  former  being  slightly  in  the  lead  as  they  entered  on  the  last  quarter  but  losing  out  by  three 
quarters  of  a  length.  Columbia  was  about  four  lengths  behind  Wisconsin.  The  Freshmen 
won  from  Columbia  and  Pennsylvania  by  eight  lengths. 


On  Decoration  Day  in  I  899  a  race  was  held  on  Cayuga  Lake 
between  the  Junior  Varsities  of  Pennsylvania  and  Cornell,  the 
latter  winning  by  three-quarters  of  a  length.  Yale  and  Harvard 
this  year  resumed  their  dual  contests  at  New  London,  while 
Cornell  continued  her  races  on  the  Hudson  in  the  Poughkeep- 
sie  Regatta.  Three  events  were  held — Varsity,  Freshman,  and 
Four-oared.  The  first  was  largely  between  Pennsylvania  and 
Wisconsin,  the  splendid  rowing  of  the  latter  being  sacrificed  by 
the  bad  steering  of  her  coxswain.  Cornell  was  third  and  Colum- 
bia fourth.  Pennsylvania  also  won  the  Four-oared  race  but  lost 
the  Freshman  to  Cornell. 


'Freddie"  Briggs  at  New  London   1898 
(Aher  the  Race) 


42 


Smallwood 
Vanderhoef 


Hartley 
Dalzell 


VARSITY    Itt99 
Beardslee  Lyon 

Sweetland 

Fisher  (capt. 


King 


iild  (com.) 
Robbir 


Courtney 

Wakeman 


It  was  felt  throughout  the  season  of  '99  that  the  Varsity  crew  w^as  not  up  to  the  standard,  and 
its  defeat  at  the  hands  of  Pennsylvania  and  Wisconsin  was  not  so  much  of  a  surprise.  Such 
~was  not  the  case  the  year  follow^ing,  how^ever,  w^hen  Cornell  failed  to  win  a  race.  At  the 
Decoration  Day  Regatta  in  Philadelphia  she  w^as  represented  by  her  Freshman  crew^,  and  came 
in  second,  with  Pennsylvania  first  and  Columbia  third.  The  Varsity  race  at  Poughkeepsie 
'was  again  won  by  Pennsylvania,  with  Wisconsin  second,  Cornell  third,  Columbia  fourth, 
and  Georgetow^n  fifth.  The  Freshman  race  w^as  w^on  by  Wisconsin,  w^hile  the  four-oared  went 
to  Pennsylvania  in  the  record  time  of  1  0  minutes  31   1/5  seconds. 

The  years  of  1 900  and  1 90 1  w^itnessed  a  revival  of  interest  in  college  aquatics.  Not  since 
the  Saratoga  days  of  '75  and  '86  had  so  many  Varsity  crews  been  training  for  the  Poughkeepsie 
Regatta.  In  1901  Syracuse  was  represented  by  a  Varsity  "  eight,"  bringing  the  number  of  con- 
testants in  this  event  up  to  six.  Cornell  this  year  resumed  her  position  of  supremacy,  w^inning 
the  main  event  in  the  w^orld's  record  time  of  18  minutes  53  1/5  seconds;  also  the  four-oared 
race  against  Columbia  and  Pennsylvania,  and  losing  the  Freshman  race  only  through  one  of 
her  oars  jumping  the  lock,  she  being  well  in  the  lead  at  the  mile  and  three-quarter  point, 
'where  the  accident  occurred. 

The  winter  of  1900  witnessed  the  presentation  of  a  magnificent  cup  by  the  Chicago  Alumni  for  class  competi- 
tion, which  has  been  annually  contested  for  in  a  fall  regatta. 


43 


VARSITY  1900 

Long       Robbins       Dalzell   (capt.)        Francis       Smallwood       Beardslee       Petty       Vandsrhoef       Hartley 

The  Decoration  Day  Regatta  on  Cayuga  had  also  been  won  by  Cornell,  with  Columbia 
second  and  Pennsylvania  third. 

On  Decoration  Day  of  1  902  crew^s  w^ere  entered  in  tw^o  regattas,  one  against  Syracuse  and 
the  Newell  Club  of  Harvard  on  Cayuga,  which  was  won  by  Cornell ;  and  one  against  Penn- 
sylvania and  Columbia  on  the  Schuylkill,  which  was  won  by  Pennsylvania,  with  Cornell  third. 

Cornell  won  first  place  in  the  three  events  at  the  Poughkeepsie  Regatta,  being  represented 
by  a  Varsity  crew  which  Courtney  said  was  the  finest  rowing  crew  he  had  ever  seen  and 
capable  of  going  faster  than  any  crew  that  had  ever  represented  Cornell. 


The  fall  of  '99  was  marked  by  the  appointment  of  Fred  D.  Colson, 
B.  L.  '97,  LL.  B.  '98,  as  assistant  coach  to  Mr.  Courtney.  He  has 
continued  in  that  capacity  until  the  present,  at  the  same  time  carrying 
on  the  work  of  an  instructorship  in  the  Law  School,  with  the  excep- 
tion of  the  spring  term  of  1904,  when  he  was  given  a  leave  of 
absence  to  enable  him  to  assist  in  coaching  the  crew  at  Harvard 
University. 


F.  D.  Colson 


44 


WORLD'S  RECORD  CREW   (18:53V5) 


VARSITY  1901 
Smith      Robbins       Petty       Vanderhoef  (capt.)       Lueder      Van  Alstyne       Kuschke       Merrill        Hazelwood 


In  1903  the  performance  of  the  previous  year  -was  repeated,  Cornell  winning  the  Junior 
event  on  Decoration  Day  against  Pennsylvania  and  Harvard,  and  the  Poughkeepsie  races  in 
one,  two,  three  order.  The  Freshman  cre'w  broke  the  intercollegiate  record  made  by  Yale  at 
Poughkeepsie  in  '97  by  rowing  the  two  miles  in  9  minutes  18  seconds. 

The  Poughkeepsie  Regatta  in  1 904  was  won  in  both  Varsity  and  Freshman  events  by 
Syracuse,  a  comparative  novice  in  intercollegiate  rowing.  The  Syracuse  crews  had  been 
coached  by  the  veteran  oarsman.  Ten  Eyck.  Ow^ing  to  the  contingency  occasioned  by  sickness 
of  tw^o  of  the  men  in  the  Cornell  boat  it  w^as  decided  to  row  the  Foote  boys  in  tw^o  successive 
races,  the  four-oared  and  Varsity.  Although  the  Varsity  was  undoubtedly  weakened  by  this 
policy,  the  loss  of  the  race  has  not  generally  been  attributed  to  that  fact.  The  four-oared  race 
w^as  won  by  Cornell  by  eight  or  nine  lengths.  The  Decoration  Day  race  was  against  Harvard 
on  Cayuga,  Cornell  w^inning  by  three  lengths. 

45 


VARSITY  1902 
Smith       Coffin       Hazelwood       Frenzel      Lueder      Van  Alstyne       Petty  (capt.)       Merrill      Sebring 


Decoration  Day  1905  is  one  long  to  be  remembered 
by  Cornellians.  On  that  day  the  Harvard  Varsity  was 
defeated  at  Cambridge  by  six  lengths  in  a  two-mile  race, 
w^ith  banks  and  housetops  thronged  by  a  tremendous 
crowd.  At  the  same  time  the  Junior  Varsity,  with  a  stroke 
taken  from  the  Freshman  crew  at  the  eleventh  hour,  was 
clipping  tw^o  seconds  from  the  record  of  the  American 
Henley  course  on  the  Schuylkill,  defeating  the  Yale  and 
Pennsylvania  representatives ;  w^hile  in  other  branches 
Manhattan  was  defeated  in  baseball  2  to  0,  and  the  Inter- 
collegiate Track  Meet  w^as  w^on  at  Philadelphia  by  a  close 
margin. 

The  1 905  Varsity  crew^  w^as  easily  the  best  of  the  long 
line  of  Cornell  crew^s,  many  experts  agreeing  that  it  was  the 
fastest  crew  that  ever  sat  in  an  American  shell.  The  time 
of  the  four-mile  race  at  Poughkeepsie  was  not  fast,  owing  to  unfavorable  conditions  at  the 
time,  but  previously  the  crew  had  rowed  over  the  course  in  18  minutes  33  seconds  and  had 
row^ed  up-stream  in  18  minutes  24  1/2  seconds.  ' 


46 


VARSITY  1903 
Buchanan       Coffin       Exlmonston       Nutting       Foote       Van  Alstyne       Brandow       Wadsworth      Lueder 


SAGE  COLLEGE  CREW 

(Undisputed  Champions  of  Beebe  Lake) 


47 


VARSITY  1904 
Heggem       Nutting      Stone       Ballinger       Foote  (G.  W.)       Wadsworth       Fernow       Foote  (E.  T.)       Boesch 

When  the  starting  signal  was  given  Cornell  was  not  headed  straight,  and  it  required  three 
or  four  quick  splashing  strokes  to  turn  the  boat  into  its  course.  After  that,  however,  the  crew 
settled   down   to   a   long,  slow  thirty-two   to   the   minute   stroke,  which   was   not  varied   for  a 


The  Oaks 


CORNELL  QUARTERS  AT  POUGHKEEPSIE 

48 


VARSITY  1905 

Taylor       Foole  (E.  T.)        Lee       Fernow       Foote   (G.   W.)        Dods       Boesch   (Com.)        Barton       Stowell 

moment  throughout  the  course.  At  the  half-mile  Cornell  was  comfortably  in  the  lead  ;  at  the 
mile,  six  lengths  of  open  -water  separated  her  from  her  nearest  competitor,  and  from  there  on 
a  length  was  gained  w^ith  each  minute  of  the  race.  While  the  other  crew^s  engaged  in  a  terri- 
ble nerve-racking  struggle  for  supremacy,  Cornell  just  row^ed  on  and  on  in  the  distance.  As 
someone  expressed  it,  it  seemed  like  a  dream,  or  like  a  farce  comedy  concocted  for  the  enter- 
tainment of  those  twenty  thousand  spectators.     The   order  of  finish  was,  Cornell,  Syracuse, 


(Other  Crews) 


FINISH  OF  1905  VARSITY  RACE 

49 


(Cornell) 


Georgetown,  Columbia,  Pennsylvania,  Wisconsin.  The  Freshman  race  was  won  by  Cornell 
by  eight  lengths,  with  Syracuse  second,  Columbia  third,  and  Pennsylvania  fourth.  Syracuse 
w^on  the  four-oared  from  Cornell  by  three-quarters  of  a  length  in  record  time,  with  Pennsylva- 
nia, Columbia  and  Wisconsin  follow^ing. 


(ComeU) 


JUNIOR  VARSITY  RACE  (Cayuga  Lake   1906) 


(Pennsylvania) 


In  1906,  Cornell  was  still  supreme,  winning  the  Poughkeepsie  regatta  in  Varsity  and 
four-oared  events,  but  losing  to  Syracuse  in  the  Freshman.  In  the  Varsity  race,  soon  after 
the  start,  the  six  boats  divided  into  two  groups  with  Cornell  leading  Syracuse  and  Penn- 
sylvania in  the  first  group,  and  Wisconsin,  Columbia  and  Georgetown  making  up  the  second. 
At  the  end  of  the  mile,  Cornell  was  leading  slightly  with  Pennsylvania  second,  which  lead 
was  maintained  throughout  and  increased  to  a  length  and  a  half  at  the  finish.  Syracuse 
struggled  with  Pennsylvania  for  second  place,  with  Wisconsin,  Columbia  and  Georgetown 
follov/ing.  The  four-oared  w^as  v/on  by  Cornell,  in  a  runaw^ay  race,  w^hile  the  Freshman  was 
the  spectacular  race  of  the  day,  Syracuse  winning  by  a  length,  Cornell  second,  Wisconsin 
third,  by  probably  less  than  five  feet,  and  Columbia  and  Pennsylvania  following.  On  Deco- 
ration Day,  at  Cambridge,  defeat  had  again  been  administered  to  the  Harvard  crew,  which 
later  won  from  Yale  at  New  London  and  lost  to  Cambridge  University  in  England. 

This  ends  the  record  of  the  Cornell  Navy  to  date  (January  1,  1907).  What  the  future 
holds  in  store  for  her  w^e  can  only  surmise ;  but  if  a  system  firmly  established  upon  a  broad 
common  sense  basis,  a  long  and  creditable  list  of  victories,  determination  on  the  part  of  an 
enthusiastic  and  ever  increasing  body  of  "grads"  and  "  undergrads,"  count  for  anything, 
Cornell  will  continue  to  win  a  fair  share,  and  perhaps  something  more  than  a  fair  share,  of 
victories  on  the  w^ater. 

In  the  fall  of  1905  an  intra-college  challenge  cup  was  offered  by  Mr.  J.  H.  Barr,  a  former  professor,  and  at 
the  time  an  Alumni  Trustee  of  the  University.  The  first  regatta  for  that  trophy  was  held  in  May,  1906, 
on  the  Inlet,  over  a  quarter-mile  course,  and  was  won  by  the  College  of  Civil  Engineering.  The  races  were 
rowed  in  eight-oared  gigs,  tw^o  crews  rowing  at  a  time,  and  five  colleges  competing.  It  promises  to  be  one  of  the 
popular  rowing    events  of  the   year. 

50 


Taylo 


Foote 


VARSITY  1906 

Gavat  Dods 


Stowell 


Barton 


Newman 


If  asked  to  analyze  the  causes  of  her  past  success,  I  should  perhaps  say  with  Mr.  C.  S. 
Francis,  in  a  letter  written  some  years  ago,  that  it  has  been  the  result  of  the  exercise  of  good 
judgment  in  the  selection  of  the  personnel  of  the  crews,  of  faithful  training  on  the  part  of 
those  selected,  and  a  determination  not  to  admit  the  possibility  of  defeat.  "While  not  taking 
from  the  oarsmen  one  tittle  of  credit,  however,"  he  goes  on  to  say,  "  and  while  appreciating 
at  their  proper  value  advantages  of  good  water,  and  the  big  hill,  which  does  much  toward 
developing  leg  muscle  and  lung  power,  yet  to  the  intelligent  and  careful  coaching  of 
Mr.  Charles  E.  Courtney  more  than  to  all  other  causes  combined,  is  the  Cornell  Navy  indebted 
for  her  long  list  of  victories." 


A  SPEED  TRIAL  ON  THE  HUDSON 
51 


THE  "OLD  MAN"  AND  COXSWAINS  (1906) 


52 


A  DAY  AT  THE  POUGHKEEPSIE  RACES 
1906 


GETTING  ON  THE  OBSERVATION  TRAIN 


53 


THE  START  OF  THE  FOUR-OARED 

Pennsylvania   (4)  Syracuse   (3)     Columbia   (2) 


Cornell   (1) 


AT  THE  MILE 


Syracuse  (2) 


Cornell   ( I  ' 


AT  THE  MILE  AND  A  HALF 

ComeU  (!) 

54 


-*^ 


Wisconsin   (5) 


START  OF  THE  FRESHMAN 
Pennsylvania   (4)  Cornell   (3)  Syracuse  (2) 


Columbia  ( I ) 


"^^  mssmi»M'''mim^ 


^^^ ...jpri.iVWA-jpA^^hi 


Pennsylvania  (5) 


HALF  MILE 
Columbia   (4)  Wisconsin  (3) 


Cornell   (2)  Syracuse  (I) 


Columbia   (5)  Pennsylvania   (4) 


MILE 
Wisconsin   (3)  Cornell   (2)  Syracuse  (I) 


Columbia  (4) 


RNISH 

Wisconsin   (3)         Cornell   (2) 


Syracuse  ( I ) 


55 


START  OF  THE  VARSITY 

Pennsylvania    (6)  Georgetown    (5)  Cornell   (4)  Wisconsin   (3)  Columbia   (2)  Syracuse  (I) 


HALF  MILE 

Columbia   (6)  Georgetown   (3)         Wisconsin    (4)  Syracuse   (3)         Pennsylvania   (2)  Cornell   (!) 


MILE 
Columbia  (6)  Wisconsin   (5)  Georgetown   (4)  Syracuse  (3)  Pennsylvania   (2)  Cornell  (I) 


A.4^M- 


(•MMi^^i-^ 


.'j^i 


Columbia   (6)         Georgetown    (5)  Wisconsin   (4) 


MILE  AND  ONE  HALF 
56 


Syracuse   (3)  Pennsylvania   (2j  Cornell   (I) 


Georgetown   (6)  Columbia    (5)  Wisconsin   (4) 


TWO  MILES 


Syracuse  (3) 


TWO  AND  ONE  HALF  MILES 

Pennsylvania   (2)  Syracuse  (3) 


Cornell   (I) 


THREE  MILES 


Syracuse  (3) 


Pennsylvania   (2)         Cornell   (I) 


.It—  "l 


THREE  AND  ONE  HALF  MILES 

Syracuse  (3)  Pennsylvania   (2)  Cornell   (I) 

57 


FINISH   POUGHKEEPSIE  '06   (Just  after  Crossing  the  Line) 
Syracuse  (3)  Pennsylvania  (2)  Cornell  (1) 

CORNELL  NAVY  RECORD 

MEMBERS  OF  THE  CREWS 


1873   Varsity 

1874   Varsity 

Bow 

R.  Anderson 

J.  N.  Ostrom  (Captain) 

2 

J.  N.  Ostrom 

L.  F.  Henderson 

3 

J.  H.  Southard 

P.  Clark 

4 

C.  S.  Dutton 

M.  M.  Garver 

5 

F.  B.  Ferriss  (Captain) 

R.  W.  Corwin 

Stroke 

C.  C.  King 

C  C.  King 

Substitute 

E.  L.  Phillips  * 

J.  H.  Southard 

1875  Varsity 

1875  Freshman 

Bow 

J.  S.  Waterman  * 

L.  Palmer 

2 

D.  O.  Barto 

J.  L.  Camp,  Jr. 

3 

A.  R.  GiUis 

V.  De  Loss  Grave 

4 

J.  L.  Jarvis 

A.  W.  Smith 

5 

C.  C.  King 

H.  I.  Carpenter  * 

Stroke 

J.  N.  Ostrom  (Captain) 

John  Lewis  (Captain) 

Substitute 

E.  Le  B.  Gardner 

1876  Varsity 

1876  Freshman 

Bow 

J.  S.  Waterman  * 

F.  N.  Wilcox 

2 

D.  O.  Barto 

G.  T.  Baker 

3 

A.  W.  Smith 

W.  Doggett 

4 

J.  L.  Jarvis 

E.  W.  Gregory 

5 

John  Lewis 

J.  W.  Warner 

Stroke 

J.  N.  Ostrom  (Captain) 

J.  P.  Mason  (Captain) 

Substitutes 

L.  Palmer 

G.  A.  Dounce 

D.  W.  King 

1877  and  1878,   No  Varsity 


1877,  No  Freshman 


58 


1878  Freshman 


Bow  E.  O.  Curtice 

2  C.  E.  Foster 

3  H.  T.  Waterbury 

4  A.  H.  Cowles 

5  J.  G.  Allen 

6  D.  L.  D.  Jayne 

7  E.  H.  Cole 

Stroke        J.  N.  D.  Shinkel  (Captain) 

Coxswain  V.  Elstun 

Substitute 

B.Arnold* 


Bow^ 

2 

3 

Stroke 
Substitutes 


1879  Varsity 

J.  W.  Warner 
J.  G.  Allen 
J.  N.  D.  Shinkel 
John  Lew^is 

D.  D. Jayne 
G.  M.  Mann* 

1881    Varsity  (Henley  Crew) 

Bow  A.  H.  Cowles 

2  John  Lew^is 

3  J.  G.  Allen 
Stroke  J.  N.  D.  Shinkel 
Substitute 

J.  E.  Read 

1883  Varsity 

Bow  C  A.  Raht 

2  F.  G.  Scofield 

3  C.  C.  Chase 

Stroke         H.  B.  Swartwout  (Captain) 
Substitute 

F.  E.  Wilcox 


1885  Varsity 

Bow  H.  S.  Howland 

2  S.  S.  Holman 

3  E.  M.  Olmstead 
Stroke  F.  G.  Scofield  (Captain) 

1887  Varsity 

Bow  W.  Stranahan 

2  G.  L.  Fielder  (Captain) 

3  W.  H.  Peck 
Stroke  A.  C  Balch 


1880  Varsity 

A.  H.  Cow^les 
John  Lewis 
J.  G.  Allen 
J.  N.  D.  Shinkel 


1882  Varsity 

J.  F.  Tuthill 
A.  H.  Cowles 
S.  S.  Holman 
H.  B.  Swartwout 

E.  C.  Reed 

1884  Varsity 

C.  A.  Raht 
A.  L.  Cornell 
H.  S.  Howland 

F.  G.  Scofield  (Captain) 

W.  G.  Barney 
W.  Church 

1886,  No  Varsity 


1888  Varsity 

W.  B.  Tobey  (Captain)* 
W.  M.  Dollar 
G.  H.  Thayer 
R.  L.  McComb 
Substitute 

J.  D.  Ross 


59 


1889 

Varsity 

Bow 

J.l 

D.  Ross 

2 

H. 

A. 

Benedict 

3 

A. 

G. 

Colnon 

4 

W 

.  B. 

Tobey 

« 

5 

A. 

W 

.  Marston 

6 

P. 

Hagerman 

7 

G. 

H. 

Thayer  (Captain) 

Stroke 

W 

.  S. 

Dole 

Coxswain  L. 

W. 

Emerich 

Substitutes 

H. 

L. 

Baker 

L. 

W. 

Healy 

1890  Varsity 

1890  Freshman 

Bow              W.  D.  Osgood  * 

G.  P.  Symonds 

2                   H.  A.  Benedict  (Captain) 

F.  W.  Kelley  (Captain) 

3                   J.  M.  Wolfe 

C.  B.  Hadden 

4               T.  W.  Hill 

A.  T.  Baldwin 

5                   A.  W.  Marston 

G.  V.  Fowler 

6                   P.  Hagerman 

C  J.  Barr 

7                   D.  Upton 

W.  Young 

Stroke         W.  S.  Dole 

G.  P.  Witherbee  * 

Coxswain  L.  W.  Emerich 

E.  P.  Allen* 

Substitute 

E.  A.  Griffith 

1891   Varsity 

1891   Freshman 

Bow^            W.  Young 

R.  B.  Daggett 

2                   F.  W.  Kelley 

W.  H.  Dole  (Captain) 

3                   J.  M.  Wolfe  (Captain) 

F.  S.  Root 

4               T.  W.  Hill 

W.  H.  Dunham 

5                  G.  F.  Wagner 

A.  H.  Place 

6                   G.  P.  Witherbee* 

T.  Hall 

7                    A.  W.  Marston 

E.  G.  Gilson 

Stroke         H.  A.  Benedict 

W.  G.  Kranz 

Coxswain  E.  P.  Allen* 

T.  S.  Clark 

Substitutes 

C.  J.  Barr 

S.  G.  Higley 

E.  A.  Griffith 

1892  Varsity 

1892  Freshman 

Bow            F.  W.  Kelley 

A.  C.  Freeborn 

2                  C.  J.  Barr 

P.  A.  Robbins 

3                  C.  F.  Wagner 

E.  C.  Hagar 

4                  W.  S.  Dole 

W.  B.  Sanborn 

5                   A.  W.  Marston  (Captain) 

H.  C  Pitcher 

6                   G.  P.  Witherbee* 

H.  C.  Troy  (Captain) 

7                   E.  G.  Gilson 

R.  L.  Shape 

Stroke         T.  Hall 

G.  W.  Collins 

Coxswain  E.  P.  Allen  '^ 

N.  N.  Sherman  * 

Substitutes 

F.  S.  Root 

J.  A.  Nichols,  Jr. 
E.  Heitman,  Jr. 
Juan  Zaldvondo 

60 


1893  Varsity 

Bow 

A.  C.  Freeborn 

2 

C.  J.  Barr  (Captain) 

3 

E.  C.  Hagar 

4 

P.  A.  Robbins 

5 

R.  L.  Shape 

6 

H.  C.  Troy 

7 

E.  G.  Gilson 

Stroke 

T.  Hall 

Coxswair 

iN.  N.Sherman* 

Substitute 

G.  W.  Collins 

1894  Varsity 

Bow 

A.  C.  Freeborn 

2 

T.  Hall  (Captain) 

3 

E.  C.  Hagar 

4 

G.  P.  Dyer 

5 

T.  N.  Carver 

6 

F.  W.  Freeborn 

7 

R.  L.  Shape 

Stroke 

P.  A.  Robbins 

Coxswain  E.  P.  Allen  * 

Substitute 

H.  C.  Troy 

R.  B.  Hamilton 

L.  L.  Tatum 

1895  Varsity 

Bow 

F.  C  Slade 

2 

W.  B.  Chriswell 

3 

C  S.  Moore  * 

4 

E.  Johnston 

5 

C  H.  Smith 

6 

W.  B.  Sanborn 

7 

L.  L.  Tatum 

Stroke 

H.  C.  Troy  (Captain) 

Coxswain  R.  T.  Richardson 
Substitutes 

E.  A.  Crawford 
J.  H.  Taussig 

F.  A.  Briggs 


1893  Freshman 

F.  B.  Matthews  * 
E.  H.  Bingham 

E.  F.  Guilford 

G.  P.  Dyer 

H.  L.  K.  Shaw  (Captain) 
W.  How^ard 

F.  C  Slade 

R.  B.  Hamilton 
J.  H.  Hall 

M.  W.  Roe 

Z.  W.  Wheland 

1894  Freshman 

J.  H.  Taussig 
W.  B.  Chriswell 

C.  A.  Louis 

E.  A.  Crawford 

D.  C  Scott 
L.  Kinney 

L.  Dillingham 

E.  O.  Spillman  (Captain) 

F.  D.  Colson 

W.  H.  Squire 


1895  Freshman 

E.  J.  Savage  (Captain) 
C.  K.  Conrad  ''^ 
I.  C.  Ludlam 
J.  Fuller,  Jr. 

E.  Johnson 
J.  C.  Inslee* 
C.  S.  Moore  * 

F.  A.  Briggs 
E.  A.  Boyd 


H.  W.  Jeffers 
W.  C.  White 


61 


1895 

i  Varsity  (Henley  Crew) 

Bow 

M, 

,  W.  Roe 

2 

E. 

O. 

Spillman 

3 

E. 

C. 

Hagar 

4 

F. 

w 

.  Freeborn 

(Captain) 

5 

T. 

E. 

Fennell 

6 

G. 

P. 

Dyer 

7 

C. 

A. 

Louis 

Stroke 

T. 

Hall 

Coxswain 

iF. 

D. 

Colson 

Substitutes 

R. 

L. 

Shape 

W 

.  B. 

entley 

R. 

B. 

Hamilton 

F. 

B. 

Matthews 

-K 

1896  Varsity 

1896  Freshman 

Bow 

I.  C.  Ludlam 

W.  B.  Stamford 

2 

W.  B.  Chriswell 

T.  L.  Bailey 

3 

C.  S.  Moore* 

S.  W.  Wakeman  (Captain) 

4 

F.  W.  Freeborn  (Captain) 

C.  M.  Oddie 

5 

E.  J.  Savage 

P.  Russell 

6 

E.  O.  Spillman 

A.  C.  King 

7 

L.  L.  Tatum 

W.  C.  Dalzell,  Jr. 

Stroke 

F.  A.  Briggs 

E.  B.  Carter 

Coxswain  F.  D.  Colson 

S.  L.  Fisher* 

Substitutes 

E.  Johnston 
H.  C.  Troy 

F.  C.  Slade 

1897  Varsity 

G.  O.  Wagner 
A.  B.  Raymond 

1897  Freshman 

Bow 

S.  W.  Wakeman 

P.  Will 

2 

W.  Bentley 

C.  B.  Smallwood 

3 

C.  S.  Moore  * 

P.  B.  Windsor 

4 

A.  C.  King 

R.  H.  Gamwell 

5 

M.  M.  Odell 

L.  F.  Hanmer 

6 

E.  O.  Spillman  (Captain) 

C.  W.  Coit 

7 

E.  J.  Savage 

A.  R.  Ayers 

Stroke 

F.  A.  Briggs 

J.  W.  Ihlder 

Coxswair 

I  F.  D.  Colson 

E.  T.  Magoffin 

Substitutes 

W.  C.  Dalzell,  Jr. 
C.  M.  Oddie 
E.  B.  Carter 
T.  L.  Bailey 

H.  E.  Halloway 
R.  W.  Beardslee 

62 


1898  Varsity 

1898  Freshman 

Bow 

W.  C.  Dalzell,  Jr. 

C.  H.  Fay 

2 

W.  Bentley 

H.  E.  Vanderhoef 

3 

S.  W.  Wakeman 

E.  C.  King 

4 

T.  L.  Bailey 

C.  W.  Cross 

5 

C  S.  Moore  * 

A.  Ball 

6 

R.  W.  Beardslee 

L.  S.  Lyon  (Captain) 

7 

E.  J.  Savage 

S.  W.  Hartley 

Stroke 

F.  A.  Briggs 

C.  B.  English 

Coxswain  F.  D.  Colson  (Captain) 

N.  L.  Ritchie 

Suhstitutei 

A.  B.  Raymond 
E.  R.  Sweetland 

1899  Varsity 

D.  R.  TTiomas 
R.  W.  Robbins 
T.  B.  Taylor 
C.  A.  Tryon 

1899  Freshman 

Bow 

S.  W.  Hartley 

A.  F.  Brinckerhoef 

2 

H.  E.  Vanderhoef 

H.  L.  Chase 

3 

S.  W.  Wakeman 

L.  S.  Haskin 

4 

A.  C.  King 

F.  H.  Teagle 

5 

E.  R.  Sweetland 

A.  S.  Petty 

6 

R.  W.  Beardslee 

E.  H.  Powley  (Captain) 

7 

W.  C  Dalzell 

E.  D.  Toohill 

Stroke 

R.  W.  Robbins 

J.  M.  Francis 

Coxswain  S.  L.  Fisher  (Captain) 

G.  E.  Long 

Substitutes 

L.  S.  Lyon 

C.  B.  Smallwood 

W.  O.  Beyer 
E.  L.  Walker 

1899 

Four-Oared 

Bow 

A. 

R 

.  Ayers 

2 

L. 

S. 

Lyon 

3 

L. 

F. 

Hanmer 

Stroke 

C. 

B. 

Englij 

>h 

1900  Varsity 

1900  Freshman 

Bow 

S.  W.  Hartley 

H.  M.  Longyear* 

2 

H.  E.  Vanderhoef 

P.  F.  Ballinger 

3 

A.  S.  Petty 

C.  R.  Osborne 

4 

R.  W.  Beardslee 

J.  P.  Frenzel,  Jr. 

5 

C.  B.  Smallwood 

R.  L.  Hutton 

6 

J.  M.  Francis 

F.  E.  Benedict 

7 

W.  C.  Dalzell,  Jr.  (Captain) 

H.  T.  Kuschke 

Stroke 

R.  W.  Robbins 

W.  Merrill 

Coxswain  G.  E.  Long 

J.  G.  Smith 

Substitutes 

T.  J.  Van  Alstyne 

S.  Hazlewood 

63 


1900    Four-Oared 

Bow 

A.  F.  Brinckerhoel 

, 

2     . 

E.  A.  Burrows 

3 

W.  O.  Beyer 

4 

A.  E.  Flowers 

1901   Varsity 

1901    Freshman 

Bow 

S.  Hazlewood 

J.  W.  Schade 

2 

W.  Merrell 

E.  A.  Wadsworth 

3 

H.  T.  Kuschke 

W.  A.  Whittelsey,  Jr. 

4 

T.  J.  Van  Alstyne 

R.  W.  Nutting 

5 

C.  A.  Lueder 

H.  W.  Torney 

6 

H.  E.  Vanderhoe 

:f  (Captain) 

R.  M.  Thompson 

7 

A.  S.  Petty 

J.  F.  Borden  (Captain) 

Stroke 

R.  W.  Robbins 

A.  R.  Coffin 

Coxswain  J.  G.  Smith 

E.  G.  Atkin 

Substitutei 

i 

B.  H.  Smith 

C.  A.  Lyford 

■ 

E.  D.  Sebring 

1901    Four-Oared 

G.  W.  Walker 

Bow 

E.  D.  Toohill 

2 

P.  F.  Ballinger 

3 

C.  L.  Edmonston 

Stroke 

J.  P.  Frenzel,  Jr. 

1902  Varsity 

1902  Freshman 

Bow 

E.  D.  Sebring 

J.  L.  White 

2 

W.  Merrill 

J.  Snyder  (Captain) 

3 

A.  S.  Petty  (Captain) 

J.  W.  Fisher 

4 

T.  J.  Van  Alstyne 

F.  Miller 

5 

C.  A.  Lueder 

G.  W.  Foote 

6 

J.  P.  Frenzel,  Jr. 

H.  S.  Munroe 

7 

S.  Hazlewood  * 

L.  G.  Gates 

Stroke 

A.  R.  Coffin 

W.  C.  Shephard 

Coxsw^ain 

L  J.  G.  Smith 

I.  V.  Buchanan 

Substitutes 

P.  F.  Ballinger 

C.  D.  Ruland 

H.  W.  Torney 

1902    Four-Oared 

C.  E.  Boesch 

Bow 

E.  D.  Toohill 

2 

P.  F.  Ballinger 

3 

C.  L.  Edmonston 

Stroke 

C  A.  Lyford 

64 


1903  Varsity 

1903  Freshman 

Bow 

C.  L.  Edmonston 

W.  F.  Lee 

2 

E.  A.  Wadsworth 

R.  C.  Barton 

3 

E.  E.  Brandow 

C.  p.  Johnson 

4 

T.  J.  Van  Alstyne 

P.  Folger 

5 

G.  W.  Foote 

J.  H.  Whitehead 

6 

R.  W.  Nutting 

H.  L.  Aller 

7 

C.  A.  Lueder 

W.  H.  Forbes 

Stroke 

A.  R.  Coffin 

E.  T.  Foote 

Coxswair 

I  I.  V.  Buchanan 

R.  R.  Slocum 

Substitutes 

J.  P.  Frenzel  (Captain) 

H.  F.  Locke 

C.  C.  Adams 

H.  S.  Krauter 

A.  Whittemore 

1903 

Four-Oared 

Bow 

J.  W.  Schade 

2 

J.  Snyder 

3 

A.  Stone 

Stroke 

L.  F.  Bruce 

1904  Varsity 

1904  Freshman 

Bow 

C.  E.  Boesch 

J.  H.  Graham 

2 

E.  T.  Foote 

J.  A.  Ostos 

3 

B.  E.  Fernow 

F.  D.  Hooper 

4 

E.  A.  Wadsworth 

R.  H.  Bishop 

5 

G.  W.  Foote 

J.  Q.  Newton 

6 

P.  F.  Balhnger 

R.  E.  Coulson 

7 

A.  Stone 

W.  S.  Stowell 

Stroke 

R.  W.  Nutting 

G.  C.  Sumner 

Coxswair 

I  C.  R.  Heggen 

W.  G.  Taylor 

Substitutes 

A.  R.  Coffin  (Captain) 

G.  W.  Nasmyth 

W.  H.  Forbes 

C.  J.  Goodier 

1904 

Four-Oared 

Bow 

W.  F.  Lee 

2 

R.  C.  Barton 

3 

G.  W.  Foote 

Stroke 

E.  T.  Foote 

1905  Varsity 

1905  Freshman 

Bow 

W.  S.  Stowell 

T.  Earle 

2 

R.  C  Barton 

A.  A.  Allen 

3 

C.  E.  Boesch  (Commod 

lore) 

G.  C.  Hanson 

4 

J.  P.  Dods 

S.  C  Nedham 

5 

G.  W.  Foote 

L.  W.  Gavett 

6 

B.  E.  Femow,  Jr. 

J.  W.  Holt 

7 

W.  F.  Lee 

T.  W.  Welsh 

Stroke 

E.  T.  Foote 

C  P.  Cox 

Coxswain 

:  W.  G.  Taylor 

G.  D.  Ellsworth,  Jr. 

Substitutes 

G.  M.  Chapman 

J.  H.  Bromley 

O.  W.  Roats. 

J.  A.  Carman 

65 


1905 

Four-Oared 

Bow 

F.  D.  Hooper 

2 

C  D.  Barnhardt 

3 

J.  M.  Acklin 

Stroke 

C.  J.  Goodier 

1906  Varsity 

1906  Freshman 

Bow 

W.  S.  Newman 

S.  S.  Bullen 

2 

R.  C.  Barton 

F.  E.  Wurst 

3 

W.  S.  Stowell 

E.  H.  Clark 

4 

J.  P.  Dods 

H.  N.  Simpson 

5 

L.  W.  Gavett 

R.  W.  Conant 

6 

C  P.  Cox 

G.  H.  Walder 

7 

W.  F.  Lee 

A.  G.  Vail 

Stroke 

E.  T.  Foote  (Commodore)                       R.  W.  Weed,  Jr. 

Coxswain  W.  G.  Taylor 

W.  C.  Sloan 

1906  Four-Oared 

Bow 

T.  W.  B.  Welsh 

2 

L.  R.  Gracy 

3 

J.  M.  Acklin 

Stroke 

C.  J.  Goodier 

Deceased 


66 


CORNELL  NAVY  RECORD 


Place 

Ithaca,   May  II... 
Springfield,  July  16    . 


Contestants  in   Order  of  Finish 


1872 


Union  Springs,  Cornell 


Saratoga,  July  18 


1873 

Yale,  Wesleyan,  Harvard,  Cornell,  Columbia,  Dart- 
mouth, Amherst,  Bowdoin,  Mass.,  Agriculture, 
Trinity,    Williams 

1874 

Columbia,  Wesleyan,  Harvard,  Williams,  Cornell,  Dart- 
mouth, Princeton,  Trinty,  Yale 

1875 


Ithaca,  May  22        Cornell,  Union  Springs 

Saratoga,  July  13 (Freshman)  Cornell,  Harvard,  Brown,  Princeton  .     .     . 

Saratoga,  July  14 Cornell,    Columbia,    Harvard,    Dartmouth,  Wesleyan, 

Yale,  Amherst,  Brown,  Williams,  Bowdoin,  Hamilton, 
Union,  Princeton 

1876 

Ithaca,  June  12 Cornell,  Watkins 

Saratoga,  July  19 (Freshman)  Cornell,  Harvard,  Columbia 

"  "         (Single)   Cornell  (C.  S.  Francis)  Harvard,  Columbia, 

Pennsylvania 

"                "         Cornell,  Harvard,  Columbia,  Union,  Wesleyan,  Prince- 
ton        

1878 

Ensinore  (Owasco  Lake)  July  I  7  .  (Freshman)  Cornell,  Harvard 

1879 

Ithaca,  May  30 Watkins,  Cornell 

Lake  George,  July  18 Columbia,  Wesleyan,  Cornell 


1880 

Lake  George,  July   16    .         ...  Cornell,  Pennsylvania,  Columbia 

1881 

Henley,  Eng.,  June  30 London,  Thames,  Cornell      .    .    , 

"  July  2 Hertford  College,  Cornell  .... 


London,  Eng.,  July   14 London,  Thames,  Cornell 

Vienna,  Austria,  Aug.  II      ...  Cornell  defeated      .    .    .    . 


1882 

Lake  George,  July  4 Pennsylvania,  Wesleyan,  Princeton,  Cornell,  Bowdoin 

67 


Time  Distance     Boat 


16.54 


16.59 


16.42 


11.14 
I7.32i 


16.53i 

13.30 

I7.23i 

13.421 
I7.0li 

I7.l3i 


13.25 
8.26 


9.12 


8.56 


8.19 


9.35 


2  4 

li  4 


1i  4 


1   mi. 

4 

550  yds. 

I   mi. 

4 

550  yds. 

IS 

4 

4 

H  4 


Pla 


Contestants  in  Order  of  Finish 

1883 


Cazenovia  Lake,  May  25  .         .    .  Cornell,  Elmira,  Syracuse 

Lake  George,  July  4 Cornell,  Pennsylvania,  Princeton,  Wesleyan      .... 

1884 

Philadelphia,  June  19 Pennsylvania,  Cornell,  Princeton 

Saratoga,  July  6 Pennsylvania,  Cornell,  Bowdoin,  Princeton,  Columbia 

1885 

Philadelphia,  June  19 Cornell,  Pennsylvania 

Worcester,  Mass.,  July  4  .    .     .     .  Cornell,  Brown,  Bowdoin,  Pennsylvania 


1886 

Saratoga (Junior  Singles)  Cornell  (H.  S.  Howland) 

1887 

Newark,  June  II Cornell,  three  Boat  Clubs 

Worcester,  Mass.  July  5    .    ,    .    .  Cornell,  Bow^doin 


1888 

Philadelphia,  July  4 Cornell,  Pennsylvania,  New  York  Rowing  Club 

1889 

New  London,  June  27 Cornell,  Columbia,  Pennsylvania 

Philadelphia,  July  4 Cornell,  Crescents,  Fairmounts 

"5 Cornell,  Pennsylvania 


Ithaca,  June  18    .    .    . 
Newr  London,  June  24 

"      26 


1890 

Cornell,  Bowdoin 

(Freshman)  Cornell,  Columbia,  Yale 
Cornell,  Pennsylvania     .... 


189 


New^  London,  June  20 (Freshman)  Cornell,  Columbia 

"25 Cornell,  Pennsylvania,  Columbia 

1892 

Ithaca,  June  9 (Freshman)  Cornell,  Columbia 

Newark,  May  31 Cornell,  New  York  Athletic  Club 

Ithaca,  June  15 Cornell,  Pennsylvania 


1893 

New  London,  June  20 (Freshman)  Cornell,  Columbia 

Lake  Minnetonka,  Minn.,  July  8  .  Cornell,  Pennsylvania     .    .    .     . 


Torresdale,  Pa.,  June  16 
Ithaca,  June  18    .    .    .    . 


1894 

.    .  Cornell,  Pennsylvania 

.    .  (Freshman)  Cornell,  Dauntless  R.  C. 


Time  Distance    Boat 


11.35 
11.57 


9.06i 
8.391 


8.51 
9.IOi 


10.8 


8.13J 
9.38 


10.38 
I4.27J* 


10.56 

7.21^ 

17.26 


10.08 
23.40 


21. 12^ 
11.155 


2 

4 

li 

4 

H 

4 

\h 

4 

li 


8.19J  li 


15.30 

3 

7.03 

li 

6.40* 

li 

17.30 

3 

11.16i 

2 

14.43* 

3 

2 

li 

3 


68 


Pla 


Ithaca,  June  14  ...  . 
Poughkeepsie,  June  24 
Henley,  Eng.,  July  10    . 


Poughkeepsie,  June  26 


Annapolis,  May  30     .     . 
Poughkeepsie,  June  23 

"      25 

"      30 

July      2 


New  London,  June  23  . 
Saratoga,  July  2  .    .    . 

Ithaca,  May  30    .    .    . 
Poughkeepsie,  June  26 


Philadelphia,  May  30    . 
Poughkeepsie,  June  30 


Ithaca,  May  30    .    .    . 
Poughkeepsie,  July  2 


Ithaca,  May  30    .    . 
Philadelphia,  May  30    . 
Poughkeepsie,  June  21 


Contestants  in  Order  of  Finish 

1895 

(Freshman)  Cornell,  Pennsylvania 

Columbia,  Cornell,  Pennsylvania 

Trinity  Hall,  Cornell 

1896 

(Freshman)  Cornell,  Harvard,  Pennsylvania,  Columbia 
Cornell,  Harvard,  Pennsylvania,  Columbia 

1897 

Cornell,  Naval  Cadets 

(Freshman)  Yale,  Harvard,  Cornell 

Cornell,  Yale,  Harvard,  Columbia 

(Freshman)  Cornell,  Pennsylvania  . 

Cornell,  Columbia,  Pennsylvania 

1898 

(Freshman)  Yale,  Harvard,  Cornell     ....         ... 

Cornell,  Yale,  Harvard    .  

(Freshman)  Cornell,  Columbia,  Pennsylvania  .... 
Pennsylvania,  Cornell,  Wisconsin,  Columbia    .... 

1899 

(Junior)  Cornell,  Pennsylvania     . 

(Freshman)  Cornell,  Columbia,  Pennsylvania  .... 

Pennsylvania,  Cornell      ....         

Pennsylvania,  Wisconsin,  Cornell,  Columbia     .... 

1900 

(Junior)  Pennsylvania,  Cornell,  Columbia 

(Freshman)  Wisconsin,  Pennsylvania,  Cornell.Columbia 

Pennsylvania,  Columbia,  Cornell 

Pennsylvania,  Wisconsin,  Cornell,  Columbia,  George- 
town   

1901 

(Junior)  Cornell,  Columbia,  Pennsylvania  ... 

(Freshman)  Pennsylvania,  Cornell,  Columbia,  Syracuse 

Cornell,  Pennsylvania,  Columbia 

Cornell,  Columbia,  Wisconsin,  Georgetown,  Syracuse, 
Pennsylvania       

1902 

(Junior)  Cornell,  Syracuse,  Harvard  (Newell  Club)  .     . 

(Junior)  Pennsylvania,  Columbia,  Cornell 

(Freshman)  Cornell,  Wisconsin,  Columbia,  Syracuse, 

Pennsylvania 

Cornell,  Pennsylvania,  Columbia 

Cornell,  Wisconsin,  Columbia,  Pennsylvania,  Syracuse, 
Georgetown       .         

69 


Time         Distance     Boat 


21.25 
7.15 


10.18 
19.29* 


19.44:1 


1 8.53  i^ 


19.051 


2 

4 

I  mi. 

550  yds. 

2 
4 


11.15 

2 

8 

9.19i* 

2 

8 

20.34 

4 

8 

9.2  H 

2 

8 

20.47* 

4 

8 

ll.22f 

2 

8 

23.48 

4 

8 

10.575 

2 

8 

i5.5IJ 

3 

8 

ll.26i 

2 

8 

9.55 

2 

8 

11.12 

2 

4 

20.04 

4 

8 

8.17 

li 

8 

9.45i 

2 

8 

0.3H 

2 

4 

10.52 

2 

8 

10.201 

2 

8 

\\39i 

2 

4 

10.48 

2 

8 

2 

8 

9.39,i 

2 

8 

10.434 

2 

4 

Pla 


Ithaca,  May  30    ...     . 
Poughkeepsie,  June  26 


Ithaca,  May  28    ...    . 
Poughkeepsie,  June  28 


Cambridge,  May  30  .  . 
Philadelphia,  May  30  . 
Poughkeepsie,  June  28 


Ithaca,  May  30  ...  . 
Cambridge,  May  30  .  . 
Poughkeepsie,  June  23 


Contestants  in  Order  of  Finish 

1903 

,  (Junior)  Cornell,  Pennsylvania,  Harvard 

.  (Freshman)  Cornell,  Syracuse,  Wisconsin,  Columbia, 
Pennsylvania 

,  Cornell,  Pennsylvania,  Wisconsin,  Columbia  .... 
Cornell,  Georgetov^rn,  Wisconsin,  Pennsylvania,  Syra- 
cuse, Columbia 

1904 

,  (Junior)  Cornell,  Harvard 

,  Cornell,  Columbia,  Pennsylvania,  Wisconsin,  George- 
town     

(Freshman)  Syracuse,  Cornell,  Pennsylvania,  Columbia 
Syracuse,  Cornell,  Pennsylvania,  Columbia,  George- 
town, Wisconsin       

1905 

,  (Varsity)  Cornell,  Harvard 

(Junior)  Cornell,  Pennsylvania,  Yale 

(Freshman)  Cornell,  Syracuse,  Columbia,  Pennsylvania 
Syracuse,  Cornell,  Pennsylvania,  Columbia,  Wisconsin 
Cornell,  Syracuse,  Georgetow^n,  Columbia,  Pennsyl- 
vania, Wisconsin 

1906 

(Junior)  Cornell,  Pennsylvania 

(Varsity)  Cornell,  Harvard 

.  (Freshman)  Syracuse,  Cornell,  Wisconsin,  Columbia, 

Georgetown 

Cornell,  Syracuse,  Columbia,  Pennsylvania 

Cornell,  Pennsylvania,  Syracuse,  Wisconsin,  Columbia, 
Georgetowrn      

*Record  established. 


Time         Distance    Boat 


ii.Mi 

9.18* 
10.34 

18.57 


11.27.i 

10.505 
10.01 

20.22§ 


19.36* 


10.09i 
6.34 
9.39* 

10.15^* 

2 

2 
2 

8 
8 

8 

4 

20.29 

4 

8 

11.01* 

10.41^ 

2 

8 

8 

9.5  Iv 
10.351 

2 

2 

8 

4 

70 


\J  hj  ,'  '^    ' 


''^l^^/^ 


b^^      .  3 "His. •.«>'.- 


CORNELL  OF  THE  PRESENT 


71 


THIS  BOOK  IS  DUE  ON  THE  LAST  DATE 
STAMPED  BELOW 


AN     INITIAL     FINE     OF     25     CENTS 

^  WILL  BE  ASSESSED   FOR   FAILURE  TO    RETURN 

THIS  BOOK  ON  THE  DATE  DUE.  THE  PENALTY 
WILL  INCREASE  TO  50  CENTS  ON  THE  FOURTH 
DAY  AND  TO  $1.00  ON  THE  SEVENTH  DAY 
OVERDUE. 


HOV  15  1932 


x"^ 


\^^^ 


FEB  24  lD3i 


FEB   20    1938 


SEP  17  1940 


26May'52SA 


l^AYs^ 


J852 


^ 


LD  21-50m-8/31 


YE  03162 


